The cyclone center stated the current data from a reconnaissance airplane showed Elsa was moving west-northwest at 14 mph with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph. Its center was located 110 miles east-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica.Late Saturday, the storm battered parts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti with heavy rain and high winds as its center passed to the south.The typhoon center issued a tropical storm watch late Saturday for the Florida Keys, from Craig Key westward to the Dry Tortugas. The watch indicates tropical storm conditions, including sustained winds of a minimum of 39 mph, are possible within 48 hours. Hurricane winds will likely reach South Florida Sunday night into Monday early morning. The exact track and strength of the storm are still rather unsure. There is growing self-confidence the storm will track near or up the western coast of Florida, first moving through the Florida Keys on Monday and then reaching northern parts of Florida by Wednesday.Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis released a state of emergency for 15 counties on Saturday ahead of Elsa. He encouraged locals to start preparation efforts, consisting of equipping their catastrophe supply kits with a weeks worth of products and coming up with a catastrophe plan.”Were getting ready for the danger of separated twisters, storm rise, heavy rainfall and flash flooding,” DeSantis said.The state of emergency covers Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Pasco, Pinellas and Sarasota counties.Whats expectedElsa was a Category 1 typhoon Friday and early Saturday, however was devalued to a hurricane late Saturday morning.”An extra decline in forward speed is anticipated … on Sunday, followed by a turn towards the northwest Sunday night or Monday,” the hurricane center said.A hurricane warning is in impact for the coast of Haiti north of Port Au Prince, the southern coast of Dominican Republic from Punta Palenque to the border with Haiti, 10 provinces in Cuba and for Jamaica.Heavy rain is anticipated in parts of Dominican Republic, Haiti and Jamaica through Sunday, with 4 to 15 inches possible, perhaps causing spread flash flooding and mudslides, according to the cyclone center.The typhoon center stated Elsa is anticipated to move near Jamaica and parts of eastern Cuba on Sunday. Rain of 5 to 15 inches is possible over parts of Cuba from Sunday through Monday.”Gradual weakening is anticipated to take place tonight and Monday when Elsa moves across Cuba,” according to the typhoon center.Significant flash flooding and mudslides are possible in Cuba, especially throughout the more mountainous regions.The Cayman Islands also could receive 3 to 5 inches of rain Sunday through Monday, according to the cyclone center.There was no death or major injuries reported in Barbados after Hurricane Elsa went through Friday, according to Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, speaking at an interview Saturday. “It could have been far worse, but it was bad enough, and definitely one of the more tough occasions weve needed to deal with in current times with respect to climate,” the prime minster said.At least 743 roofing systems were damaged by the storm, said Kerry Hinds, director of Barbados emergency management agency. Roger Blackman, the managing director of Barbados Light & & Power Company, said power service was fully restored to 65% of clients on the island and he intended to have 80% of consumers back within 48 hours.Elsas course toward US coast is less certainAfter Sunday, the forecast for the United States coast, including Florida, is more unsure. The typhoon center says Elsa is anticipated to move across main and western Cuba on Monday and after that head towards Florida.Based on the most recent projection track, Elsa could start bringing winds and rain to the Florida Keys and southwestern Florida by Monday night as a tropical storm. It then might track along Floridas west coast early next week.The cyclone center projections Elsa will bring 2 to 6 inches of rain to parts of the Florida Keys and southern Florida.But even the storms center tracks toward western Florida, the southeastern Florida neighborhood of Surfside is “still going to perhaps see some impacts, even if its simply some of the external bands” of rain and wind by Tuesday or Wednesday, CNN meteorologist Tyler Mauldin said.A crew could destroy remaining units of a partially collapsed South Florida condominium structure in Surfside as soon as Sunday, authorities stated, racing versus time as Elsa approaches the state.Otherwise, Elsas winds might topple the structure unsafely, authorities said.The US Coast Guard has actually set Port Condition X-Ray for the ports of Key West and Miami as Elsa approaches the Florida Peninsula, according to a Coast Guard press release. The condition indicates that sustained wind force winds in between 39 and 73 mph are anticipated within 48 hours which vessels and port facilities need to start a series of preparations that are detailed in federal regulations.The ports stay available to industrial traffic however the Coast Guard alerted that “drawbridges may not be running if continual winds reach 25 mph or when an evacuation is in progress.”Elsa was the very first typhoon of the 2021 Atlantic season, and the third called storm to present a danger to the US coast.

There is growing confidence the storm will track near or up the western coast of Florida, first moving through the Florida Keys on Monday and then reaching northern parts of Florida by Wednesday.Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis provided a state of emergency for 15 counties on Saturday ahead of Elsa. The hurricane center states Elsa is anticipated to move throughout western and central Cuba on Monday and then head towards Florida.Based on the latest forecast track, Elsa might begin bringing winds and rain to the Florida Keys and southwestern Florida by Monday night as a tropical storm. It then could track along Floridas west coast early next week.The hurricane center projections Elsa will bring 2 to 6 inches of rain to parts of the Florida Keys and southern Florida.But even the storms center tracks toward western Florida, the southeastern Florida community of Surfside is “still going to perhaps see some effects, even if its just some of the outer bands” of rain and wind by Tuesday or Wednesday, CNN meteorologist Tyler Mauldin said.A crew could destroy remaining systems of a partially collapsed South Florida condo structure in Surfside as soon as Sunday, officials said, racing versus time as Elsa approaches the state.Otherwise, Elsas winds could fall the structure unsafely, authorities said.The United States Coast Guard has set Port Condition X-Ray for the ports of Key West and Miami as Elsa approaches the Florida Peninsula, according to a Coast Guard press release.