The eye of tropical storm Elsa, the fifth in the current season in the Atlantic, made landfall this Monday on the southwestern coast of Cuba , with maximum sustained winds of 60 miles per hour (95 km / h ).
The United States National Hurricane Center (NHC), based in Miami, reported in its bulletin of the 14: 00 hours (18: 00 GMT) that Elsa was about 85 miles (140 km) southeast of Havana (Cuba), which is in the alarm phase.
The Cuban provinces of Cienfuegos, Matanzas, Camaguey, Ciego de Ávila, Sancti Spiritus, Villa Clara, Mayabeque, Artemisa and Havana are under a tropical storm warning due to from Elsa, who on Tuesday will be on the Florida peninsula (USA).
The storm up to the Caribbean island, where thousands of people have taken refuge in state shelters or family homes, amid the worst outbreak of the covid pandemic – 19, which registers several records of daily infections and active cases.
Elsa moves with direction northwest to 18 miles per hour (22 km / h) and today is expected to maintain this pattern, to turn north-northwest on Tuesday and head to Florida, according to with the NHC.
Precisely, in the last hours the warnings and alerts due to the tropical storm have been extended to almost all of the west coast of Florida, including the extreme northwest known as the Panhandle.
After reaching the keys of Florida Tuesday morning, Elsa is expected to head toward the west coast of this state.
There is a storm surge watch ci clone in effect for an area of the west coast of Florida where Governor Ron DeSantis has declared an emergency in Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lee, Levy, Miami-Dade, Monroe counties, Pasco, Pinellas and Sarasota.
In Florida’s Miami-Dade County, Elsa forced the demolition of a partially collapsed building in the coastal city of Surfside on Sunday night, which so far has left 27 people dead and 118 disappeared.
The authorities had anticipated that what was left standing of the Champlain Towers condominium , which the early morning of the past 24 collapsed for reasons that are still being investigated and while its inhabitants slept.
Elsa had strength for a few hours Category 1 hurricane, the first of 2021. Before Elsa, tropical storms Ana, Bill, Claudette and Danny have been registered this year.
Meteorologists predict that it will be a cyclonic season above normal but without reaching the of 2020, which broke all historical records.
Florida prepares for Elsa’s arrival
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis asked Floridians to be prepared for the rains, winds and swells from Elsa and stay safe.
DeSantis has for now declared in emergency the counties of Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lee, Levy, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Pasco, Pinellas and Sarasota, with visas to facilitate the disbursement of resources if needed.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued a tropical storm watch for the Florida Keys, from Craig to Dry Tortugas, and a watch from the ca I Craig to Ocean Reef, as well as to Florida Bay and the west coast of the state from Flamingo to Bonita Beach.
Sandbags have already begun to be distributed in the keys and in cities on the west coast to prevent flood damage and to take other measures for the same purpose, as in Tampa, where Elsa could impact and a center has already been activated emergency management.
At MacDill Air Force Base, headquarters of the Sixth Refueling Wing, it has been ordered to take the planes to another base in Wichita, in Kansas, to prevent
The Coast Guard has placed the ports of Key West in Yankee condition due to the expectation of sustained winds of 35 miles per hour (56 km / h) and gusts up to 43 mph (69 km / h) generated by Elsa that can arrive in 24 hours.
The Vessels wishing to remain in port must submit a written safe mooring plan and request permission.
Vessels bound for South Florida are advised to seek an alternative destination and vessels of recreation seeking safe harbor.
With information from Efe.
Continue Reading: Miami without the Champlain Towers building; rescuers restart work and climb to 27 the dead