Storm Elsa made landfall in Florida with winds of 100 kilometers per hour

The Tropical storm Elsa has made landfall this wednesday in the Taylor County, Northwest Florida, with maximum sustained winds of 65 miles per hour (100 km / h), the United States National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported.

Investigators reported that the center of the storm passed through a sparsely populated area and predicted that soon it will pass through northern Florida with heavy rain and wind. Then, it will travel to Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia before leaving for the Atlantic on Friday. Weakening is expected as Elsa advances overland.

Elsa lost the force of the hurricane on Tuesday night as it moved parallel to Florida’s Gulf of Mexico coast, which has been battered by rains, winds and storm surges since Tuesday.

The entire area was declared a state of emergency several days ago by the state’s governor, Ron DeSantis.while the northwest coast of Florida was under hurricane warning. DeSantis told a morning press conference that no major structural damage or fatalities from the storm were reported.

Tornado watches were issued Wednesday morning in several counties in northern Florida, including the Gainesville area. Heavy rains and gusts of wind are expected in northern Florida once the storm makes an expected turn to the northeast. Flooding is also expected in the region, where the ground is already saturated by heavy rains at the end of last week.

“It is clear that it could have been worseThe Republican governor said, adding that many storm-related deaths occur after the system has passed. “Be very careful when cleaning up debris“, He said.

Tropical storm warnings have been canceled for Cape Coral and Fort Myers. Further north, the greater Tampa Bay area, while wet and windy, appears to have emerged virtually unscathed. Tampa was no longer on hurricane warning, but forecasters warned of tropical storm conditions, including high winds and flash floods.

DeSantis said there were as many as 26,000 customers without power in the area, most in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Polk counties surrounding Tampa Bay. Crews were working to restore power and DeSantis said no hospitals had reported a power outage, which has been a major problem in previous storms.

“We are fortunate to see minimal damage and flooding this morning, but it’s important to keep safety in mind. Be aware of your surroundings and don’t drive in flood waters, ”Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said via Twitter.

(With information from EFE and AP)

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