Elsa May Strengthen Back Into Hurricane As It Barrels Towards Florida
By Bill Galluccio
July 6, 2021
Tropical Storm Elsa may have time to strengthen back into a hurricane as the storm moves into the Gulf of Mexico. Elsa weakened on Monday (July 5) after lashing Cuba with heavy rains and high winds. The storm is now entering the Florida Straits and will barrel through the Florida Keys before entering the Gulf of Mexico.
Once in the Gulf, forecasters say Elsa could regain hurricane strength before making landfall around Tampa on Wednesday. The storm could dump between three to five inches of rain, with up to eight inches in some areas. It is expected to bring dangerous storm surge to coastal areas and could spawn tornadoes.
Tropical storm warnings are in effect from the Florida Keys to the Big Bend Coast, while other parts of western Florida are under a hurricane watch. Officials in Hernando County, which sits north of Tampa, issued a voluntary evacuation order for people who live in mobile homes and low-lying areas.
"Above normal tides, combined with heavy rainfall, could flood coastal roads Tuesday night and throughout the day on Wednesday. A strong tropical storm moving offshore into the Gulf of Mexico has potential to produce up to 3 feet of storm surge once winds arrive on shore over multiple high tide cycles," officials said in a statement.
Elsa has caused two deaths in the Dominican Republic and one death in St. Lucia. In Cuba, 118,000 people were evacuated due to the threat of significant flooding.