Florida braces for Elsa impacts on Tuesday, Wednesday

Orlando, FL - 11 P.M. UPDATE: The National Hurricane Center said in its 11 p.m. update that Tropical Storm Elsa is moving northwest at 15 mph with maximum sustained winds at 65 mph.

The NHC said a reconnaissance aircraft found Elsa a little stronger.

Forecasters said Elsa is expected to make landfall across central Cuba by Monday afternoon.

FOX 35 Storm Team Meteorologist Allison Gargaro said the latest track shows Elsa making landfall on north Florida's west coast at around 8 a.m. on Wednesday.

8 P.M. UPDATE: The National Hurricane Center said Elsa is moving northwest at 15 mph with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph.

The NHC said Elsa is moving away from southeastern Cuba and Jamaica and is expected to move across Central Cuba on Monday.

The track for Elsa has remained relatively unchanged from Saturday's track.

By Monday, the tropical storm is expected to pass over the Florida Keys late Monday. From there, Elsa is forecasted to move near or over portions of the west coast of Florida on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Both Tuesday and Wednesday have been declared FOX 35 Storm Alert Days.

Tropical Storm warnings and watches have been issued along the south and west coasts of Florida ahead of Elsa.

5 P.M. UPDATE: The National Hurricane Center said in its 5 p.m. update that Elsa is traveling northwest at 14 mph with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph.

Forecasters said the storm is expected to move across Cuba on Monday.

Forecast tracks still have the Florida peninsula being impacted by the storm on Tuesday and Wednesday. Those days are FOX 35 Storm Alert Days.

Tropical Storm warnings and watches have been issued for South Florida and Florida's west coast ahead of Elsa.

2 P.M. UPDATE: The FOX 35 Storm Team has declared Tuesday and Wednesday as ‘FOX 35 Storm Alert Days’ as the impact of Tropical Storm Elsa could be felt in Central Florida.

Residents and visitors to Central Florida should know that heavy rainfall, gusty winds, and a few isolated tornadoes are all possible during this time. Effects across the the Peninsula will vary greatly with the distinct possibility of some of the eastern viewing areas, Brevard County and coastal Volusia County potentially not seeing much impact at all.  

TRACK THE TROPICS: Visit the FOX 35 Storm Team Hurricane Center for the latest tropical weather outlook and more

The current forecast from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) shows a possible Elsa landfall in the Big Bend region of the State on Wednesday morning. Weather conditions will improve locally after landfall from south to north as Elsa clears out and moves out of Florida and into the Coastal Georgia and the Carolinas. 

As of 11 a.m. Sunday, tropical storm watches are in place across the upper Florida Keys and the Southwest portion of the Florida Peninsula. A Tropical Storm Warning is active for the middle Keys down to Key West and the surrounding coastal waters of the Florida Straits and Southeastern Gulf of Mexico.

The current rainfall forecast for the coming week reflects Elsa's passage over the west side of Florida. Amounts will vary with one inch or more over the far east to over four or five inches south of the Florida Panhandle and along the I-75 corridor. These numbers can change in a big way if Elsa's track goes more east or more west. 

In their latest advisory, the NHC says that Tropical Storm Elsa is currently located about 65 miles south-southeast of Cabo Cruz, Cuba. It is currently moving towards the west-northwest at 14 mph with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph.

They said that Elsa is expected to turn toward the northwest sometime Sunday. This means it will move near Jamaica and portions of eastern Cuba on Sunday. Then, by Monday, the tropical storm is expected to move across central and western Cuba and head towards the Florida Straits, passing over the Florida Keys late Monday. From there, Elsa is forecasted to move near or over portions of the west coast of Florida on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Some slight strengthening is also possible on Sunday, the NHC said. This could happen as the tropical storm approaches the south-central coast of Cuba. However, gradual weakening is forecasted to occur Monday when Elsa moves across Cuba. After it emerges over the Florida Straits and the southeastern Gulf of Mexico, some slight restrengthening is possible.

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Several active watches and warnings are in effect due to Tropical Storm Elsa. These include:

TROPICAL STORM WARNING:

• The Cuban provinces of Camaguey, Granma, Guantanamo, Holguin, Las Tunas, Santiago de Cuba, Ciego de Avila, Sancti Spiritus, Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, Matanzas, Mayabeque, and Havana
• Jamaica
• The Florida Keys from Craig Key westward to the Dry Tortugas

HURRICANE WATCH:

• The Cuban provinces of Camaguey, Granma, Guantanamo, Holguin, Las Tunas, and Santiago de Cuba

TROPICAL STORM WATCH:

• Cayman Brac and Little Cayman
• The Cuban province of Artemisa
• The Florida Keys from east of Craig Key to Ocean Reef
• Florida Bay
• The southwest coast of Florida from Flamingo to Bonita Beach

Governor Ron DeSantis has also announced a State of Emergency for several Florida counties ahead of the tropical storm.

"The severity of the storm is still uncertain," he said. "The state of emergency applies to the following counties: Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Desoto, Hardy, Hernando Hillsborough, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Pasco, Pinellas and Sarasota counties."

BE PREPARED: Here's what you need to stay prepared for hurricane season

Tropical Storm Elsa killed one person 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.

Elsa was a Category 1 hurricane up until Saturday morning, causing widespread damage in several eastern Caribbean islands. Among the hardest hit was Barbados, where more than 1,100 people reported damaged houses, including 62 homes that completely collapsed as the government promised to find and fund temporary housing to avoid clustering people in shelters amid the pandemic.

Downed trees also were reported in Haiti, which is especially vulnerable to floods and landslides because of widespread erosion and deforestation.

WATCH: Weather plane flies through center of Hurricane Elsa

Cuba is prepared to evacuate people along the island’s southern region on Sunday amid fears that Tropical Storm Elsa could unleash heavy flooding.

Elsa is the fifth named storm of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season. The next name on the list is Fred. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced that the U.S. is likely to be hit with another "above-normal" year, with 13 to 20 total named storms. 

The FOX 35 STORM TEAM is committed to keeping you safe. Depend on us as we track the tropics this 2021 Atlantic Hurricane Season.