Tropical Storm Elsa killed one person and injured several others Wednesday as it moved toward the Georgia-Florida border.
Elsa’s winds toppled a tree onto two cars during the afternoon commute in Jacksonville, Florida, killing one person. This was according to Capt. Eric Prosswimmer with the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department. Jacksonville International Airport recorded a peak wind gust of 42 mph Wednesday.
A tornado touched down in Jacksonville Wednesday evening, according to Mayor Lenny Curry. It’s fairly common for tornadoes to form within the outer bands of a tropical storm or hurricane.
That tornado traveled Into Georgia. There were reports of multiple injuries and damage after the tornado touched down around 5:50 p.m. ET at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, about 40 miles north of Jacksonville. Many of the injured were taken to local hospitals for treatment, according to a Facebook post from the base. Based on a preliminary survey of the damage, the National Weather Service has rated the tornado an EF-2, with maximum winds of 128 mph.
As of 8 a.m. Thursday, Elsa was centered 45 miles west of Florence, South Carolina, with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph. Tropical storm force winds (39 to 73 mph) were spreading 115 miles away, reaching the coast and offshore. Myrtle Beach International Airport in South Carolina reported a sustained wind of 41 mph Thursday morning, with a gust of 54 mph.
Elsa will dump heavy rain and produce potential wind damage Thursday across eastern portions of the Carolinas, followed by the Northeast Friday. Localized flooding is possible due to the combination of storm surge and rainfall. The National Hurricane Center has tropical storm warnings in place from the northeastern coast of South Carolina all the way to southern New England. This includes Chesapeake Bay; Delaware Bay; Long Island, New York; as well as Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, Massachusetts.
Elsa will head to the Canadian Maritime Provinces Friday night into Saturday.
Click here for more FreightWaves articles by Nick Austin.
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