Tropical Storm Watch In Effect For Keys As Hurricane Elsa Nears

ACROSS FLORIDA — A tropical storm watch is now in effect for portions of the Florida Keys.

The National Hurricane Center said the watch was put in place due to an increasing risk of tropical storm conditions, storm surge and rainfall beginning Monday in the Florida Keys and southern Florida.

The risk is expected to spread north along the Florida peninsula through Wednesday and reach the coasts of Georgia and the Carolinas Wednesday and Thursday.

However, the hurricane center said the uncertainty of the forecast remains larger than usual due to what will occur when Hurricane Elsa reaches Hispaniola and Cuba.

Satellite imagery shows that Elsa looks ragged and disorganized at this time.

Reports from Air Force Reserve and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Hurricane Hunter aircraft that flew into Hurricane Elsa Saturday indicate the hurricane has maximum sustained winds of near 70 mph with higher gusts.

That's slightly less than the 74 to 95 mph parameters to be designated a Category 1 hurricane.

Tropical storm-force winds extend 125 miles, mainly to the north of the hurricane's center. Port Au Prince, Haiti, reported a wind gust of 51 mph.

There will be little change in the hurricane's strength Saturday night, but there will be a gradual weakening on Sunday and Monday when Elsa is expected to be near or over Cuba, according to senior hurricane specialist Jack Beven of the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

This will be followed by a turn toward the northwest Sunday night or Monday.

On the forecast track, Elsa will move near the southern coast of Hispaniola later Saturday, and move near Jamaica and portions of eastern Cuba on Sunday. By Monday, Elsa is expected to move across central and western Cuba and head toward the Florida Straits.

The hurricane is forecast to move near or over portions of the west coast of Florida Tuesday.

Currently, the center of Elsa is passing over the southwestern peninsula of Haiti, bringing tropical storm conditions in both Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The hurricane is moving west-northwest at about 29 mph.

The National Hurricane Center said 2 to 4 inches of rainfall from Elsa is likely to impact portions of the Florida Keys and southern Florida early next week. There could be as much as 6 inches of rain in some areas, resulting in flash flooding as well as street flooding and along rivers.

Ahead of Hurricane Elsa's potential arrival, the National Weather Service is tracking strong thunderstorms in the Florida Keys and along Florida's west coast Saturday with winds in excess of 40 mph.

There are reports of areas with poor drainage overflowing, causing minor flooding throughout Tampa Bay.

The National Weather Service in Ruskin expects 1 to 2 more inches of rainfall Saturday, causing additional minor flooding throughout the area.

Stay tuned to Patch for Hurricane Elsa updates.

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