Wednesday, Elsa was downgraded to a tropical storm after rising barely above hurricane strength late Tuesday night. It’s expected to make landfall around the Big Bend area later this morning before racing off to the northeast. YouTube Tips ⓘ
Elsa was downgraded to a tropical storm overnight after reaching hurricane strength late Tuesday night, July 6, 2021. Overall there is optimism that the Tampa area was not hit as bad as was possible. The rescue operations in Surfside, Florida near Miami were only delayed about two hours earlier Tuesday.
Tropical Storm Elsa is expected to make landfall around the Big Bend area later this morning before moving off to the northeast to George.
At 9:02 a.m. Tropical Storm Elsa was located about 100 miles south-southeast of Tallahassee or about 30 miles south-southwest of the Steinhatchee River. Storm Intensity was reported at 65 mph and movement was North or 360 degrees at 14 mph.
For LIVE Tornado Warnings for our area and United States, see Arlingtoncardinal.com/tornadowarning or Twitter.com/NWStornado
Warning Map and Radar for Tampa Area
Over 9 inches of rain fell east of Bradenton, Sarasota and Venice — near Port Charlotte and less populated areas straight north of Port Charlotte, including jthe Myakka River State Park and Lake Manatee Lower Watershed.
There was little effect on Disney World except for periods of rain.
A Hurricane Warning remained in effect near Inglis and Homosassa Springs in the Southeast Big Bend area of Florida.
A Storm Surge Warning and Tropical Storm warning was in effect for Clearwater and Palm Harbor.
A Storm Surge Warning and Hurricane Warning are in effect for Coastal Dixie.
A Storm Surge Warning and Tropical Storm Warning are in effect for Coastal Taylor.
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Brooks, Inland Dixie, Inland Jefferson, Inland Taylor, Lafayette, Lanier, Lowndes, and Madison
A Tropical Storm Warning and Storm Surge Watch are in effect
for Coastal Jefferson and Coastal Wakulla
Strong tropical storm force winds will be possible across the Southeast Big Bend area into far South-Central Georgia, with some gusts to hurricane force possible along the Dixie County coast. Storm surge of 3 to 5 feet will be possible for Apalachee Bay. Further west, surge of 2 to 4 feet will be possible for Central Apalachee Bay, mainly due to breezy easterly winds on the north side of Elsa. Flooding rains will be possible across the area, with 2 to 4 inches of rainfall with isolated pockets of 5 to 6 inches possible across the Southeast Big Bend area. Saturated soils from rainfall the past few days will make it easier for the forecast rainfall with Elsa to create flooding issues. A Flood Watch remains in effect for most of the eastern Big Bend and South-Central Georgia to account for this threat.
Additionally, a few tornadoes will be possible across the Southeast Big Bend.
Little or no impact is expected across eastern the Florida panhandle, Florida Big Bend, southeastern Alabama and southwestern Georgia, little to no impact is anticipated. No warnings or watches existed for Tallahassee at 10:00 a.m. EDT but heavy rain is possible near Tallahassee.
Hurricane warnings are in effect along Florida’s west coast as tropical storm Elsa brings heavy rain and strong winds, hundreds are still unaccounted for in the Surfside condo collapse as hope of finding survivors dwindles, and President Biden is warning that the delta Covid-19 variant is spreading across the U.S. YouTube Tips ⓘ