Floods and power outages: Tropical storm Elsa made landfall in Florida

Tropical storm Elsa hit western Florida with heavy rains and strong gusts of wind. The storm caused coastal flooding, damage and power outages in Florida and elsewhere in the southeastern United States. The edition told in more detail CNN.

As of 08:00 on July 7, Elsa was moving parallel to the coast and was located 35 miles (56 km) west of Cedar Key and 115 miles (185 km) northwest of Tampa. The storm travels at 14 miles (22 km) per hour with maximum sustained gusts of 65 miles (104 km) per hour and above. The storm winds extend outward up to 90 miles (144 km) from the center.

After 11:00, the storm came ashore in Taylor County, located on the Florida Gulf Coast.

In addition to heavy rain and flooding, Elsa is threatened with winds of 40 miles (65 km) per hour and higher in already-affected areas of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. Winds can knock down trees and power lines.

“We had a lot of rain last month. If wind gusts reach 40 mph or 65 mph, some of those trees will fall, CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said. “There will be a lot of damage.”

On Wednesday morning, July 7, flooding occurred in parts of southwestern Florida. This included the Fort Myers area, where flooding made some roads impassable, the National Weather Service said.

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Because hurricane gusts are still possible, a hurricane warning is in effect on the west coast of Florida from Chasakhovitsky (about 60 miles (96 km) north of Tampa) north to southern Taylor County in Florida's Big Bend area on Wednesday morning.

According to PowerOutage, about 10 customers in Florida were left without electricity.

The storm eased to a tropical storm early Wednesday 7 July after picking up the strength of a Category 6 hurricane on Tuesday 1 July. More than 13 million people are on tropical storm warning in parts of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

Elsa will bring 3 to 9 inches (8-23cm) of rain by the storm's end, according to the National Weather Service. Although by Wednesday morning north of Port Charlotte had already dropped up to 12 inches (30 cm).

While Elsa's effects are most pronounced in western Florida, the outer stripes also cause rain and wind in eastern Florida.

In the Surfside area in southeastern Florida, the teams intended to continue search and rescue operations at the site of the condominium collapse if the gusts of wind did not exceed 45 miles (72 km) per hour, a rescue official said.

Elsa also struck the Florida Keys on Tuesday 6 July. After the storm passed, the Coast Guard reported that people were being rescued in water more than 20 miles from Key West. By nightfall, the service was still looking for nine people and 15 people were rescued.

Counties and utilities prepare for the storm

Ahead of the storm, Tampa officials urged residents to stay home and prepare.

“Authorities are preparing, but we need you to do your part as well,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said in a video posted on Twitter. - Don't go outside. Stay home".

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis expanded his declaration of emergency on Tuesday, July 6 to include 33 counties.

The Florida National Guard has deployed 60 Guardsmen and is poised to deploy more for hurricane-related operations such as flood relief or humanitarian aid.

Shelters have been opened in at least five counties, and two counties have issued voluntary evacuation orders.

Duke Energy, serving 1,8 million Florida customers, is gearing up for anticipated outages.

The company organized 3000 "crew members, contractors, tree specialists, and other personnel" from Pinellas County to North Florida.

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Additional line and support personnel were also brought in from Carolina, Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio, according to the report.

The University of Florida at Gainesville has canceled classes due to the storm, the university said in a statement.

Elsa will go to Georgia and South Carolina

Prior to the Florida Elsa landfall, tropical storm alerts were issued for parts of Georgia and South Carolina, and tropical storm alerts were issued for parts of North Carolina and Virginia.

After landfall in Florida, Elsa's center is expected to head into Georgia on Wednesday, July 7, and into South Carolina by Thursday, July 8, before moving toward the mid-Atlantic coast.

The Hurricane Center reported 2 to 6 inches (5-15 cm) of rainfall in areas of southeastern Georgia and South Carolina.

TS Elsa is unleashing devastating conditions across Cedar Key, FL. This does definitely not look like a tropical storm. #elsa pic.twitter.com/boHVgNsYEA

- Evan J. WX (@evanjameswx) July 7, 2021

Coastal North Carolina and southeastern Virginia may rain approximately 8 to 1 inches (5 to 2,5 cm) during the night of Thursday, July 12, according to the hurricane center.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has declared a state of emergency in 91 of his state's 159 counties in preparation for Elsa.

“This storm has the potential to cause devastating harm to citizens in the central, southern and coastal regions of Georgia, and with the potential for downed trees, power lines and debris, the Georgia road network could become impassable, isolating homes and people from access to essential public services.” said Kemp.

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