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Deadly Tropical Storm Elsa heading toward mainland US

Likely landfall in southern Florida by late Monday

(Photo: NOAA)

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.

https://vimeo.com/570887258

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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Nick Austin

Nick is a meteorologist with 20 years of forecasting and broadcasting experience. He was nominated for a Midsouth Emmy for his coverage during a 2008 western Tennessee tornado outbreak. He received his Bachelor of Science in Meteorology from Florida State University, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Management from the Georgia Tech. Nick is a member of the American Meteorological Society and National Weather Association. As a member of the weather team at WBBJ-TV in Jackson, Tennessee, Nick was nominated for a Mid-South Emmy for live coverage of a major tornado outbreak in February 2008. As part of the weather team at WRCB-TV in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Nick shared the Chattanooga Times-Free Press Best of the Best award for “Best Weather Team” eight consecutive years.