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- Tropical Storm Elsa will hit the Florida Keys on Tuesday.
- The western coast of Florida will see dangerous storm conditions as Elsa moves northward.
- Georgia and parts of South Carolina will also see rainfall and potential flooding.
Although Tropical Storm Elsa has downgraded from a hurricane, forecasters warn southern Floridians still need to prepare for severe stormy weather this week.
Meteorologists at the National Hurricane Center (NHC) reports that Elsa will be tracking northeastward up the U.S. coast, first hitting the Florida Keys with heavy rains and flash flooding beginning on Tuesday morning.
8am EDT 6 July — Tropical Storm #Elsa continues to produce heavy rainfall, primarily east of the center, over portions of Cuba & the Florida Keys. Flash flooding and mudslides remain an ongoing threat for these areas this morning.
Latest: https://t.co/905zOAYiId pic.twitter.com/SUtxFF3KuB
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) July 6, 2021
“Considerable” flash and urban flooding are possible for the southwest and western parts of Florida. The NHC even called for a danger of “life-threatening storm surge” along this coast and enacted a Storm Surge Warning for those sites.
By mid- to late-week, heavy rainfall is expected across coastal Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and southeastern Virginia.
Specifically, coastal Georgia and the South Carolina low country are also expected to be hit hard by Elsa. Leadership in parts of both these states have enacted tropical storm watches that could last into early Thursday.
Hurricane conditions are expected tonight and early Wednesday along parts of Florida’s west coast, prompting a hurricane warning to be placed in effect for this region. Tropical storm conditions are also anticipated for portions of the Florida Keys and expected to move north up the western portion of the state by Wednesday morning.
“All Floridians should prepare for the possibility of heavy rain, flooding and potential power outages. Now is the time to restock your supplies and review your hurricane plan,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) wrote on Twitter.
Last week, Tropical Storm Elsa was upgraded to Hurricane Elsa before losing the wind speed intensity that reclassified it as a hurricane.
EMERGENCY EVACUATIONS NOW TAKING PLACE IN TEXAS HOSPITALS BECAUSE OF FREEZING TEMPERATURES
FIRST POWER, NOW WATER: TEXANS TOLD TO BOIL, CONSERVE WATER AS STATE WARNS OF SHORTAGES
TEXAS BLACKOUTS DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECT LOW-INCOME, NON-WHITE COMMUNITIES
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