Live Updates: Tropical Storm Elsa lashes Florida's Gulf Coast
get the free appTropical Storm Elsa is hitting Florida with heavy rain and wind as it moves across the state after lashing the Tampa Bay region. The National Hurricane Center said in its 8 a.m. Eastern advisory that the storm is tracking northward and will make landfall along the north Florida Gulf coast by Wednesday afternoon.
A hurricane warning remains in effect across a stretch of the coast from Chassahowitzka to the Steinhatchee River. Forecasters said damaging winds, dangerous storm surge and heavy rainfall remains likely across the state's west coast.
Elsa strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane for several hours on Tuesday night before weakening to a tropical storm.
"We ask that you please take it seriously," Governor Ron Desantis said Tuesday in Tallahassee. "This is not a time to joyride because we do have hazardous conditions out there."
On Wednesday morning, Elsa was centered about 35 miles west of Cedar Key and 115 miles northwest of Tampa, still packing maximum sustained winds of 65 mph. It was moving north at about 14 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center, and expected to turn inland later in the morning and rake across northern central Florida.
A tropical storm warning is in effect for a swath of the Georgia coast up into South Carolina, where significant flooding is predicted. The National Hurricane Center said a storm surge warning is in place for a section of Florida's Gulf Coast, from the Middle of Longboat Key to the Aucilla River, including Tampa Bay.
Coast Guard searches for 9 people missing off Key West
A search is continuing Wednesday for nine people believed to be missing in the waters southeast of Key West.
The Coast Guard said it and a good Samaritan rescued 13 people after a vessel coming from Cuba capsized on Tuesday about 26 miles southeast of Key West.
Two females and seven males are still missing, survivors told the Coast Guard.
Florida governor: "Be safe and use common sense"
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said there were no reports of fatalities or significant structural damage due to Elsa as of early Wednesday. But he asked Floridians to "simply be safe and use common sense" as the storm passes across the state.
"Don't drive your vehicle into standing water," he said, warning that a small car can be swept away by as little as 12 inches of fast- moving water.
He urged people not to approach or touch hanging or fallen power lines, or use generators inside a home or garage or outside near an open window open due to threats of carbon monoxide poisoning. There have been more deaths from carbon monoxide in the last four years than from direct storm impacts, he said.
The governor said that while no deaths from the storm have been reported so far, "we typically have seen fatalities after the storm passes." Elsa's impact on the state, however, has so far been less than what officials "thought would be reasonable."
Tampa International Airport resuming operations
Tampa International Airport says operations will resume at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday after flights were stopped on Tuesday evening because of Elsa. The reopening is taking place earlier than expected.
"TPA's Operations team made the determination to open early after evaluating the airfield and airport facilities for storm damage from Elsa, which brought gusts of up to 41 miles per hour overnight," the airport said in a release.
"The Airport did not sustain any damage from the storm. TPA's roadways are clear, and the garages and rental car center are open," it said.
However, flight delays and cancellations remain possible. The airport advises travelers to check schedules with their airlines and get to the airport two hours ahead of their flight departure times.
Warnings and watches as of 8 a.m. ET
The following warnings were in effect as of 8 a.m. Eastern, according to the National Hurricane Center:
A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for:
- West coast of Florida from the Middle of Longboat Key to the Aucilla River, including Tampa Bay.
A Hurricane Warning is in effect for:
- West coast of Florida from Chassahowitzka to the Steinhatchee River
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for:
- West coast of Florida from south of Chassahowitzka to the Middle of Longboat Key
- West coast of Florida north of the Steinhatchee River to Ochlockonee River
- Mouth of St. Marys River, Georgia to Little River Inlet, South Carolina
A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for:
- West of the Aucilla River to the Ochlockonee River, Florida
A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for:
- North of Little River Inlet, South Carolina to Chincoteague, Virginia
- Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds
Authorities in Tampa warn of dangerous conditions
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office in Tampa is urging people to stay off the roads Wednesday morning.
"If you can stay inside this morning, do it!" the sheriff's office tweeted. "Wet grounds and wind causing a few downed trees."
It said a tree fell on the roof of a car early Wednesday when a driver ventured out at 4:30 in the morning. The driver wasn't injured.
Latest advisory from Hurricane Center stresses flood risk
The National Hurricane Center warned in its 5 a.m. Eastern advisory that Tropical Storm Elsa could cause "considerable flash, urban and isolated moderate river flooding" as it moves over the Florida Peninsula on Wednesday.
The center reiterated the possibility of life-threatening storm surge along parts of the state's Gulf Coast, and stressed that some portions of the coast could still experience hurricane-like conditions.
Caution, but no evacuations in Georgia, North Carolina
In Georgia, a tropical storm warning was posted along the portion of the coast of Brunswick, with the National Hurricane Center saying tropical storm conditions with sustained winds of up to 50 mph (80 kph) are expected in parts of southeast Georgia.
"Right now, we're basically looking at a cloudy, rainy and windy day," Glynn County Emergency Management Agency Director Alec Eaton told the Brunswick News on Tuesday. "I feel confident we can sit down and let it pass over us without any major impacts. Hopefully."
To the north in South Carolina, emergency officials were watching Elsa, but no evacuations were ordered during the peak summer beach tourism season.
The storm was expected to track inland, but coastal forecasters noted the worst weather was on the east side of the storm and could dump up to 5 inches of rain and bring wind gusts up to 55 mph in places like Hilton Head Island, Charleston and Myrtle Beach.
Tampa airport closed overnight
Tampa International Airport suspended operations at 5 p.m. Tuesday and planned to resume flights at 10 a.m. Wednesday, following a check for any storm damage, according to its website.
The airport urged passengers to check with their specific airlines regarding travel plans not only for Wednesday, but the coming days given the disruptions caused by the storm.
Thousands without power
By Wednesday morning, Elsa had left almost 13,000 Florida residents without power, according to PowerOutage.us.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis advised residents to turn on weather alerts, prepare food and water for seven days, and to follow local evacuation orders as Elsa neared the state's coastline on Tuesday.
Most of the outages were reported in Dixie and Gilchrest Counties, which sit along the state's northern Gulf Coast.
Sarasota-Bradenton airport set to reopen, with delays
Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport halted all operations at 6:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday as Elsa headed into the region.
Operations were expected to resume at 6 a.m. on Wednesday, but the airport's website showed all flights cancelled or delayed until at least 9 a.m.
Travelers were advised to check with their airlines for information on flight schedules.
Elsa complicates search efforts in Surfside
Tropical Storm Elsa complicated search efforts in Surfside nearly two weeks after a condo building in the town collapsed. Search crews at the Champlain Towers South collapse site worked through the night while dealing with the rain bands and gusty wind from the storm.
At least 80 search and rescue team members are working on the pile at any given time, rotating in 12-hour shifts.
When there was thunder and lightning on Tuesday, the search was temporarily paused.
"They are continuing their mission of the search of the collapsed area," said Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, CBS Miami reports. "They've worked under this great difficulty, and they have pulled shifts to rotate because that's how much they want to be out there searching. The first responders are the most frustrated by any delays we have. They live to save lives."