FYI… latest from NHC on Tropical Storm Elsa. Elsa is gaining some strength after crossing Cuba last night, with winds on the eastern side now measured at 60 mph +. NHC forecasters are now predicting that at landfall on Wednesday near the Big Bend area of Florida, sustained winds could be in the 70 mph range, just slightly below hurricane force (74 mph). Since the right side or eastern side of Elsa will have the strongest winds, a Hurricane Watch has been issued for the Tampa Bay and Big Bend areas of Florida. Heavy rainfall is now impacting the Florida Keys, and is expected to impact the western and north central Florida Peninsula over the next 24-36 hours, with rainfall amounts in the 2” to 6”+ range. Storm surge up to 3’ to 5’ is also expected in some areas, and flooding/flash flooding is also likely across the western and north-central areas of the Florida Peninsula. A Tropical Storm Watch has also been issued for the Georgia and South Carolina coastal areas.

Sid Sperry

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