Tropical Storm Warning Issued for Escambia County as Bertha Churns South of the Coast

Meteorologist Scottlin Wilson says the storm’s center is staying offshore, but rip currents and gusty winds are already on the way.

A tropical storm watch for Escambia County was upgraded to a tropical storm warning Tuesday morning, meteorologist Scottlin Wilson told me on the podcast “We Don’t Color on the Dog.”

Wilson, who joined the show just as the National Weather Service in Mobile finalized its 10 a.m. advisory, said the upgrade was less about a changing forecast and more about caution as Tropical Storm Bertha continues its slow crawl through the Gulf.

“It’s not that the forecast has changed significantly. It’s out of an abundance of caution. They’ve been coordinating, of course, with the National Hurricane Center.”

Where Bertha Stands Now

As of Tuesday morning, Bertha was a lopsided storm packing 50 mph winds and creeping west at just 5 miles per hour, roughly 170 miles southeast of Mobile. Wilson said strong wind shear is keeping the heaviest rain and strongest winds south of the storm’s center — good news for the Pensacola area.

• Storm center: South of Escambia County, expected to stay south through tonight into early Wednesday
• Track: Turning west toward Louisiana by Wednesday
• Wind speeds: 25 mph sustained, gusting to 40 mph along the beach
• Inland winds: Lighter, though gusts near 30 mph are still possible around the I-10 corridor
• Biggest local risk: High risk of rip currents lasting through much of the week

Not a Repeat of Sally

Wilson said the setup has understandably given some residents flashbacks to Hurricane Sally, whose name has cycled back onto this year’s storm list. But she was quick to draw a distinction.

“The atmospheric conditions and the flow of the atmosphere is pushing this storm to the west. So not expecting a turn like we had with Sally or anything like that.”

Unlike Sally, which made a sharp and unexpected turn toward the coast in 2020, Bertha’s current atmospheric flow is steering it steadily westward, away from a direct hit on the area.

What the Warning Means for Emergency Operations

Rick asked Wilson what the upgraded warning changes for the Escambia County Emergency Operations Center. Her answer: not much, since the wind forecast hasn’t shifted.

“It really won’t change our posture much because the forecast isn’t changing. We have always expected the winds to be gusty.”

Hurricane season runs through November 30, and Wilson urged residents to keep those sources bookmarked for the duration.