(NEW YORK) — Tropical Storm Elsa has set its sights on the Florida Keys and the west coast of Florida after it wreaked havoc on islands in the Caribbean.
According the the National Hurricane Center, Tropical Storm Elsa has sustained winds of 60 mph with a forward movement of 12 mph.
While the east coast of Florida is outside of the cone of concern, feeder bands from the storm will affect our weather in Palm Beach County today with a tornado warning already sounded early Tuesday morning for a funnel cloud spotted near Clewiston.
BULLETIN
Tropical Storm Elsa Advisory Number 25
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL AL052021
1100 AM EDT Tue Jul 06 2021
…TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS AND HEAVY RAINFALL OVER THE FLORIDA
KEYS…
…HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLASH FLOODING CONTINUES OVER WEST-CENTRAL
CUBA…
SUMMARY OF 1100 AM EDT…1500 UTC…INFORMATION
———————————————–
LOCATION…24.9N 82.8W
ABOUT 65 MI…105 KM WNW OF KEY WEST FLORIDA
ABOUT 215 MI…345 KM S OF TAMPA FLORIDA
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS…60 MPH…95 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT…NNW OR 340 DEGREES AT 10 MPH…17 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE…1007 MB…29.74 INCHES
Elsa destroyed several structures in Barbados, when it hit as a Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds at 74 mph on Friday.
The heavy rainfall also damaged homes in Haiti on Saturday and flooded parts of Jamaica on Sunday.
Elsa is expected to bring gusty winds and rain across central and western Cuba through Monday and pass near the Florida Keys with heavier rain and tropical force winds early Tuesday.
The storm will then move near or over the west coast of Florida on Tuesday and Wednesday, possible sparing recovery efforts at the site of the collapsed condo building in Surfside, Florida, near Miami Beach on the east coast of the state.
What remained of the Champlain Towers condominium was demolished Sunday night ahead of the storm.
Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett described Tropical Storm Elsa as a “blessing in disguise” because it fueled discussions to demolish the building left standing after the partial collapse on June 24.
Tropical storm watches and warmings have been issued in parts of Cuba and the Florida Keys, while a storm surge watch is in effect for the west coast of Florida.
By Wednesday morning, the storm will move inland inland into North Florida and parts of Georgia.
The Florida peninsula, coastal Georgia and the Carolinas should monitor the progress of the storm, as additional watches and warnings will likely be issued Monday afternoon.
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