Jul 14, 2008 8:00 am US/Eastern
High Winds From Bertha Pummel Bermuda
MIAMI (AP) ―
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A satellite image taken at 5:45 a.m. EST shows Tropical Storm Bertha swirling in the Atlantic July 14, 2008.
National Hurricane Center/CBS
Tropical Storm Bertha raked Bermuda with high winds on Monday while kicking up choppy surf along the East Coast of the United States.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the center of the storm was 60 miles southeast of the Atlantic island Monday morning and it said sustained, tropical storm-force winds of 65 mph with higher gusts.
JetBlue canceled Monday flights from Bermuda to Boston and New York, while American Airlines passengers scheduled to travel to Miami and New York were flown out on Sunday.
Bertha was moving north near 7 mph. It was expected to bring 3-5 inches of rain to Bermuda.
Over the weekend, most tourists avoided the storm-whipped surf and rip currents along Bermuda's southern coast and authorities began posting signs announcing beach closures. Residents taped up windows and secured boats.
The U.S. National Weather Service said Bertha created tricky waves and currents along U.S. East Coast, and officials said that may have contributed to at least one drowning death Saturday along a New Jersey beach.
Bertha became the Atlantic season's first hurricane on July 7.
Meanwhile, Elida became the second hurricane of the Eastern Pacific region's season, scattering rains across Mexico's central coast.
But the storm, with winds of 80 mph, was headed away from land. Elida was centered about 485 miles south of the tip of the Baja California peninsula and it was moving west at near 14 mph.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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