Elsa has weakened back to a tropical storm, but not before killing at least three people in the Caribbean.
One death was reported in St. Lucia, according to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency. Meanwhile, a 15-year-old boy and a 75-year-old woman died Saturday in separate events in the Dominican Republic after walls collapsed on them, according to a statement from the Emergency Operations Center.
Related: Logistics groups ready to help during potentially busy hurricane season
The deaths come a day after Elsa caused widespread damage in several eastern Caribbean islands as a Category 1 hurricane, the first hurricane of the 2021 Atlantic season. Among the hardest hit islands was Barbados, where more than 1,100 people reported damaged houses, including 62 homes that completely collapsed. The government has promised to find and fund temporary housing to avoid clustering people in shelters amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This is according to an Associated Press report.
As of 8 a.m. ET Sunday, Elsa was centered just 40 miles northeast of Kingston, Jamaica, approaching Cuba. Sustained winds were 65 mph, with higher gusts. Elsa will move across portions of Cuba Sunday, followed by southern Florida late Monday.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency Saturday for the following counties: DeSoto, Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Pinellas, Pasco and Sarasota.
The U.S. Coast Guard has set port restrictions at the ports of Miami, Key West, Tampa, St. Petersburg and Manatee.
Forecast details are available in the attached video.
Click here for more FreightWaves articles by Nick Austin.
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