Hurricanes can be devastating, and there are numerous examples in American history where storms have damaged the entire coastline. Hurricane Elsa is the latest storm to watch. It’s scheduled to hit the southern tip of Florida.
However, there is some positive news about the storm. On Saturday, Hurricane Elsa weakened enough to go from a hurricane to a tropical storm, but meteorologists are still worried. The storm may still count as the first hurricane of the 2021 season. Nevertheless, it will likely strike the coast as a tropical storm based on current models.
Elsa’s winds are currently whipping at 70 mph and the threshold for a Category I hurricane is 74 mph. A Florida hurricane advisory center stated:
“Reports from an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds are now near 70 mph (110 km/h) with higher gusts.”
Why are Meteorologists Still Worried About Hurricane Elsa?
Hurricane Elsa is still flirting with a Category I hurricane. A tropical storm can still cause a lot of damage on the coast. On Saturday, the storm was 40 miles south of the Dominican Republic. It will hit Cuba on Monday at 8:00 AM before striking the tip of Florida 24 hours later.
It should be through Florida by Wednesday morning. Hurricane conditions and consequences are still expected from Elsa because of the storm’s power. This has been evident in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Meteorologists expect the storm to weaken to 65 mph winds when the storm reaches the United States. The cyclone is moving west-northwest at 29 mph. The Florida hurricane advisory center has been providing frequent updates.
The agency said:
“A decrease in forward speed is expected later today and Sunday, followed by a turn toward the northwest Sunday night or Monday.”
This has not eased anyone’s nerves because of what hurricanes and tropical storms have done in the past.
The Effect on the United States
People in Florida are patiently waiting for Hurricane Elsa’s arrival. The state has seen worse storms than Elsa, but tropical storms are unpredictable. The storm could quickly become a hurricane before hitting the United States.
The eye of the storm is heading for the west coast of Florida. It was originally expected to hit the state head-on, but the path is constantly moving. The fringe impacts of the storm will be heavy gusts and solid periods of rain.
The US Coast Guard is prepared to keep the waters safe during the storm. They have made it clear that boaters will not have much access to the coast this week when Hurricane Elsa rolls through the state.
All barges with more than 500 tons of gross weight should depart the water. In Key West, boats with greater than 300 gross tons need to evacuate the waterways. The Caribbean Disaster, Emergency Management Agency, has advised island nations to take the storm seriously.
There has been a lot of damage to Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and the Grenadines. Flash flooding, landslides, and mudslides are possible in the islands. Storm surges of 4 to 6 feet will likely be in the Caribbean.
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