A hurricane watch has been issued for parts of Florida, alongside tropical storm warnings in other areas.
National Hurricane Center experts have also warned of a potential “life-threatening surge” hitting the West Coast of the state, from Bonita Beach to the Aucilla River.
That are includes Tampa Bay, just south of where weather forecasters expect Elsa to first hit.
The storm had been gaining speed as it neared Cuba, but is expected to reduce in size somewhat as it moves over the eastern Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday.
It is the fifth named storm of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, the earliest that landmark has been reached. It formed on Thursday, was upgraded to a Category 1 hurricane on Friday, then downgraded to a tropical storm on Saturday.
It is expected to reach near-hurricane speeds (above 74mph) when it hits Florida.
Walt Disney World in Orlando has canceled Tuesday night’s EPCOT Forever firework show due to the incoming storm, according to BlogMickey.com.
Busch Garden in Tampa Bay announced it will close at 4 p.m. Tuesday due to “the anticipated impact of Tropical Storm Elsa.” The park plans to reopen at 12 p.m. Wednesday.
There is no word yet on any cancelations or closures from SeaWorld, LEGOLAND Florida or Universal Orlando Resort.
Universal said it is closely monitoring the weather and asked visitors to check their social media accounts for updates.
In a response on Twitter, Universal said that outdoor attractions may be temporarily closed in the event of severe weather.
“The safety of our guests and team members is very important to us,” Universal said in a tweet Tuesday. “In the event of severe weather, we may need to close our outdoor attractions temporarily as a safety precaution.”
Zoo Tampa at Lowry Park announced it will close Tuesday evening.
“In anticipation of the severe weather forecasted to impact the Tampa Bay area tomorrow, ZooTampa will be closed Tuesday, July 6, 2021,” the zoo said in a tweet Monday. “ZooTampa has a comprehensive severe weather preparedness plan in place to ensure the safety of our animals and team members.”
The airport will be closed from 6:30 p.m. Tuesday evening until 6:00 a.m. Wednesday morning, according to Sarasota Magazine.
Tampa Bay International Airport also announced it will suspend operations at 5:00 p.m. Tuesday evening due to the incoming storm. TPA plans to resume operations at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday morning.
St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport said it will remain open.
A spokesperson for St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport told Newsweek they are not suspending operations “as of right now,” but noted that airport officials will be discussing any possible cancellations throughout the day.
Several airlines, including Delta, American and United have issued travel waivers for travelers flying in or out of several Florida airports, according to Travel Pulse.
United, Delta and American Airlines have issued travel waivers for Fort Meyers (RSW), Key West (EYE), Sarasota (SRQ) and Tampa (TPA) airports.
United Airlines’ fee waiver also included Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Miami (MIA), West Palm Beach (PBI) and Orlando (MCO) airports.
Travelers are advised to check with their airline for updates regarding flight schedules and travel waiver policies.
The Air Force Hurricane Hunters clocked Elsa’s maximum sustained winds near 70 mph.
Elsa is forecasted to become a Catagory 1 hurricane before it makes landfall on Florida’s west coast Wednesday.
The storm is currently 180 miles south of Tampa, Florida and is moving north at 90 mph.
The National Weather Service based in Tampa Bay said wind gusts up to 70 mph are possible
The warning extends over the following counties: Broward, Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota and St. Lucie.
Elsa has brought intense rain, flooding and rough waves to Key West, the southernmost point of the continental United States.
Felicia Combs, a Weather Channel meteorologist, shared a video of intense winds hitting the Key West coast. Wind gusts have reached 70 mph in Key West, according to WCYB meteorologist Ricky Matthews.
Keys Energy Services has reported distribution line outages affecting over 3,000 customers in Key West due to Elsa. Crews are working to restore power to the area.
“As heavy rainfall falls over already saturated soils, the potential for flash flooding will continue to increase,” NWS Miami said.
Emergency services across Florida are sharing information to help residents preapre for the incoming storm.
At least four counties in the Tampa area, including Hillsborough, Pinellas, Hernando and Manatee, have opened shelters for residents.
The National Weather Service in Tallahassee noted that flooding and high winds may prompt evacaitations.
However, flooding and winds may make traveling on roadways difficult.
Lee County Department of Transportation is advising their residents to avoid bridges and roads leading to them once sustained winds reach 40 mph.
If people have to drive when it’s raining, the National Highway Traffic Safety Association advises stocking up vehicles with emergency roadsite kits, driving slowly and turning around when the road is flooded.
“People often underestimate the power of rushing water,” driving slowly, turning around when the road is flooded. “It only takes 12 inches of rushing water to carry away most cars, and just two feet of rushing water can carry away most trucks and SUVs.”
“The CDC reports the most common type of flood-related drowning occurs when a vehicle is driven into hazardous flood water,” it added.
Tampa Bay WTVT Fox 13 reporter Kim Kuzion said Holmes Beach, Florida residents “aren’t taking any chances” when it comes to preparing for the storm.
People are gathering sandbags in an area she said is “prone to flooding.”
“I want everyone to be prepared,” Holmes Beach Chief William Tokajer told Kuizon. “This could be more than we think. You always have to be prepared for it being a hurricane even though it says it’s a tropical storm.”
Tokajer urged residents to get their sandbags and remove lawn and patio furniture that “could become flying objects in the wind.”
Elsa is reporting maximum sustained winds at 60 mph Tuesday.
The Florida Division of Emergency Management said storm surge warnings are in place across the state.
Commander Col. Ben Jonsson told the Associated Press that storm surge could reach 5 feet over normally dry land in the Tampa Bay area if Elsa passes at high tide.
“191 people are accounted for and we have 113 reports of people who are potentially unaccounted for,” she said at a press conference at the site where rescue teams continue to search for survivors amid Tropical Storm Elsa.
“We’re closely monitoring the weather, and we now have our weather service embedded within our search and rescue teams to work closely to track for any changes that could impact the work to assure the safety of our first responders,” Cava added.
“Tropical Storm #Elsa continues to move NNW this morning just to the west of Key West. Strong wind gusts in squalls, heavy rainfall, and a few tornadoes today are possible across South Florida today,” the agency’s Miami bureau tweeted at 10:00 am ET on Tuesday.
In an earlier tweet, the agency said that heavy flooding was also expected in southern areas of the state, as rain is scheduled to increase throughout the day and into Wednesday morning.
Elsa has already started to affect the weather in the state, as strong winds and heavy rain battered Miami and other areas of Florida overnight on Monday.
“It’s important that Floridians don’t focus on the cone. Impacts are expected well outside that area,” DeSantis said during a press conference on Tuesday morning as he spoke about predictions for the storm.
The governor confirmed that widespread evacuations are unlikely over the next few days, but said that residents should “heed the call” if emergency services deem it necessary.
Around 250 National Guard members have been called up in preparation for Elsa and are currently based in Orlando to help with moving supplies and any rescue efforts.
Rain from Elsa has already started to affect the weather in the state, as strong winds and heavy rain have been battering Miami and other areas of Florida overnight on Monday.
The storm, which is expected to make landfall in Florida on Wednesday morning, had maximum sustained winds of 60mph early on Tuesday, as its core was recorded at 50mph, according to the Associated Press.
The storm is expected to be close to hurricane strength, which is classified at its lowest at 74mph, by the time it reaches land in Florida tomorrow morning.
The Florida airport released a statement on Tuesday, stating that it will be suspending operations from 5:00 pm on Tuesday to 10:00 am on Wednesday, as “wind speeds of up to 65 to 70 miles per hour,” are predicted for the area.
The suspension at the airport will be lifted at 10:00 am on Wednesday after its buildings have been assessed for damage from the storm.
The airport urged travellers to check with their fight providers for up-to-date schedules during this week and said that its buildings are “not equipped” to be used as emergency shelters.
The storm is not predicted to hit the area with its full force until Wednesday, and rescue crews are continuing working at the scene to get through as much as wreckage as possible before they have to pause.
The rescue operation was temporarily suspended over the weekend as officials prepared for the storm by demolishing the remaining part of the structure still standing to prevent falling debris.
This has allowed crews to work safely on the site amid the strong winds, as Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett told CNN said that teams are now working at “100 percent full strength.”
The National Hurricane Center has predicted tropical storm conditions and storm surge impacts to extend along the coasts of Georgia and the Carolinas Wednesday and Thursday, as parts of Louisiana, Alabama and Virginia will see heavy rainfall.
In its latest update at 8 a.m. ET on Tuesday, the agency said that the storm could result in “isolated flash and urban flooding” in those states, as it is predicted to go as far north as Norfolk in Virginia and as far west as New Orleans in Louisiana.
Heavy rainfall is also predicted to continue in Cuba and the Florida Keys on Tuesday, as “flash flooding and mudslides remain an ongoing threat.”
Three people were killed on Saturday as the extreme weather passed over the Dominican Republic and St Lucia, including a teenage boy and a 75-year-old woman.
Hundreds of homes were also damaged in Barbados, as more than 100,00 people were evacuated from their homes in Cuba in anticipation of the storm.
No fatalities have yet been reported from Cuba, but further mudslides and flooding are expected in the area as the storm makes its way to Florida.
It will pass near the Florida Keys on Tuesday morning, the National Hurricane Center said in its latest update.
Currently it is traveling north from Cuba at around 12 miles per hour.
The storm is currently causing winds of up to 60 miles per hour, with stronger gusts forecast as Elsa moves inland over Florida into Wednesday.
The agency also issued a “Hurricane Watch” for parts of the state. Elsa was downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm earlier this week.
Wind speeds of up to 60mph are currently forecast in Florida—14mph below hurricane speeds.
