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- Meteorologists expect Tropical Storm Elsa to strengthen into a hurricane as it makes landfall.
- Elsa was previously a hurricane before being marked down as a tropical storm.
- Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) urged citizens to have emergency plans ready.
After several reclassifications, Tropical Storm Elsa is expected to once again become Hurricane Elsa just before it makes landfall over the northwest coast of Florida, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
NHC meteorologists are predicting heavy rainfall and deadly storm surge threats for the western and northern parts of Florida, with many towns implementing hurricane warnings and watches ahead of the downpour.
Despite not yet being a hurricane again, forecasters expect hurricane conditions Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning. The Florida Keys along the southern coast are the first regions of the state to get hit by Elsa’s strong winds and heavy rainfall.
High wind speeds of up to 70 miles per hour are expected to hit Florida’s Gulf Coast side on Tuesday.
Elsa’s projected trajectory could see stormy conditions for the entire East Coast of the U.S. throughout the week. The center of the storm is expected to stay inland of the coastline from Georgia to the Carolinas, but areas below sea level in Georgia and South Carolina should prepare for tropical storm conditions.
#Elsa is a hurricane once again with winds of 75 mph. It will move up Florida’s West Coast tonight.
For the latest, tune into The Weather Channel and click here: https://t.co/BiWnA0faA0 pic.twitter.com/dnRjIeWgmo
— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) July 6, 2021
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) advised Floridians in affected regions to ensure they have a week’s worth of food and potable water, turn weather alerts on, and follow local evacuation orders if they are issued.
“Floridians in coastal counties from Pinellas to Dixie are under a hurricane warning and should begin their preparations now as #Elsa approaches,” DeSantis wrote on Twitter.
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