Tropical Storm Elsa: Path To Florida Coast, Location, Wind Speeds, Damage

Tropical Storm Elsa inched closer to south-central Cuba and strengthened Sunday evening as it is expected to target Florida by Tuesday.

According to the Associated Press, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami said Elsa’s maximum sustained winds grew stronger from 60 mph to 65 mph (100kph).

As of 11 p.m. Sunday, Elsa was spotted 165 miles east southeast of Cayo Largo, Cuba, and 270 miles southeast of Havana, Cuba. It is heading northwest at 15 mph.

According to the NHC forecast, the center of Elsa will approach south-central Cuba early Monday. The storm is expected to move across central and western Cuba and head toward the Florida Straits on Monday, and pass near the Florida Keys early Tuesday, Reuters reported.

Elsa is then forecast to move near or over portions of the west coast of Florida on Tuesday and Wednesday.

On Saturday, around 180,000 people were evacuated by the Cuban government due to fears of heavy flooding. Government facilities were prepared beforehand to accommodate people, while others opted to live with their relatives temporarily.

A Hurricane Warning has been put in place for Cienfuegos and Matanzas, while a Hurrican Watch was placed for the province of Camaguey.

Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 15 counties. According to CBS Miami, a Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for the following areas:

• Florida Bay
• East of Craig Key to Ocean Reef
• Flamingo northward to Anclote River

A Storm Surge Watch has been declared for Bonita Beach in the west coast of Florida to the Suwannee River.

In its latest update on Elsa, the NHC said “tropical storm conditions and a dangerous storm surge are possible” in the Florida peninsula “as early as Monday night.”

The agency warned of potential flooding in rivers and urban flooding due to heavy rainfall.

By the middle of the week, the NHC said it is expecting heavy rains to sweep coastal South Carolina. The agency also warned of potential isolated flash floods.

At least three deaths were associated with Tropical Storm Elsa till Saturday. In Barbados in the Caribbean, at least 62 homes were reported to have collapsed and in Haiti, reports of downed trees surfaced.

Meanwhile, the remaining structure of the Champlain Towers South condo building in Surfside, Florida, was brought down in a controlled demolition Sunday over safety fears as the tropical storm approaches Florida.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said that search operations will resume after the area is deemed safe for search and rescue.

Part of the 12-story block collapsed on June 24. So far, 24 people are reported dead and 121 are missing.