Tropical Storm Bertha 'poorly organized' as it soaks Caribbean

Tropical Storm churns past islands
Tropical Storm churns past islands


    Tropical Storm churns past islands


Tropical Storm churns past islands 01:27

Story highlights

  • Bertha still has 45 mph winds
  • It is centered 60 miles from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
  • Storm left nearly 40,000 people without power in Puerto Rico
  • Storm is not expected to hit the continental U.S.




Nearly 40,000 people, mostly in the mountainous center of Puerto Rico, lost electricity, and another 3,000 were left without fresh water, Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla said at a news conference. Padilla also said 220 "refugees," from several different countries, including the United States, ended up in shelters in Arroyo, Cayey and Ponce.

The storm was heading over the eastern Dominican Republic, which was subject to a tropical storm warning, according the National Hurricane Center's 8 p.m. advisory.



Bertha could end up dumping 1 to 3 inches of rain "with isolated amounts up to 5 inches" throughout the Caribbean by the time it's passed through.

The Hurricane Center suggests three possible scenarios for Bertha.

The official forecast is that "Bertha survives its current lack of structure, land interaction, and dry air entrainment long enough to reach a more favorable environment in about 36 hours. At that point, it would likely intensify until the onset of extratropical transition in 96-120 hours," and become a hurricane far out in the Atlantic Ocean.




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