Storm Elsa moves weakened across southeastern US after killing at least one in Florida

Tropical storm Elsa weakened but resilient inundated northern Florida and southern Georgia with heavy rains on Wednesday, causing the death of at least one person near the state border and threatening to maintain the intensity of a tropical storm until it reaches New England.

The National Hurricane Center said Elsa still had 45 to 72 km / h winds more than six hours after touchdown on the north coast of the Gulf of Florida. The center of the storm was near Valdosta, Ga., At 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Elsa appeared to prevent Florida from sustaining significant damage, although it continued to threaten torrential rains and possible tornadoes. The coasts of Georgia and South Carolina were under tropical storm watch Thursday. Forecasters predicted Elsa will remain a tropical storm until Friday and issued a tropical storm watch from North Carolina to Massachusetts.

Authorities in Jacksonville, Florida said one person was killed on Wednesday when a tree fell and hit two cars. The National Weather Service reported wind gusts of 50 to 80 km / h in the city. The tree fell during heavy rains, said Captain Eric Prosswimmer of the Jacksonville Fire Department. He said no one else was hurt.

Governor Ron DeSantis told a press conference that no major structural damage was reported when Elsa reached shore. “Obviously it could have been worse.”the Republican governor said, although he has warned that many storm-related deaths occur after the system has passed.

The hurricane center said parts of Florida could see up to 8 inches of total rain accumulation from the storm. There was also Flood risk in Georgia and South Carolina, where it must have rained between 8 and 13 centimeters. In parts of northern Florida and southeastern Georgia, the Tornado alerts until Wednesday evening.

Valdosta, Georgia and surrounding Lowndes County They received a flash flood warning when downtown Elsa passed nearby. Some roads and construction sites were inundated, and a wind gust of 4166 km / h was reported near Moody Air Force Base, county spokeswoman Meghan Barwick said.

“I am not aware of any calls for help”, Barwick said: “But we have seen flooding and we are seeing power lines and downed trees.”

Scattered power outages were reported Wednesday evening along Elsa Road, with some 35,000 homes and businesses on both sides of the Georgia-Florida border without power. according to the poweroutages.us site.

Meanwhile, the US Coast Guard said 13 people were rescued from a ship that left Cuba with 22 people on board Monday evening. Nine people were still missing. Elsa is also credited with three deaths in the Caribbean before reaching Florida.

(By RUSS BYNUM and CURT ANDERSON – AP)

Read on: