Weakened Elsa Makes Landfall in Florida

'Clearly, this could have been worse,' governor says
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 7, 2021 4:20 PM CDT
Weakened Elsa Makes Landfall in Florida
This GOES-16 GeoColor satellite image taken Tuesday, July 6, 202 shows Tropical Storm Elsa in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida.   (NOAA via AP)

A weakened Tropical Storm Elsa is making its way toward Georgia after making landfall in Florida—and while storm surge is still a worry, officials say the storm has not caused any deaths or major damage. Elsa made landfall in Taylor County, southeast of Tallahassee, around 11am with maximum sustained winds of 65mph, the New York Times reports. Residents of the lightly populated area said the flooding was no worse than is usually seen after heavy rain. "Clearly, this could have been worse," said Gov. Ron DeSantis, per the AP. He warned that downed power lines and other hazards can cause deaths after a storm passed. "Be very careful when you're working to clear debris," DeSantis said.

Addressing new Florida residents, DeSantis said, "If this is your first rodeo, just please heed the warnings," per the Tallahassee Democrat. Tornado watches are in place for much of northeastern Florida until 8pm and around 21,000 residents are without power, reports the Sun Sentinel. Tropical storm conditions are expected "along the Georgia coast by late today or tonight and along the South Carolina coast tonight and early Thursday," with storm conditions possible in the mid-Atlantic region and northeastern states by Thursday night and Friday, the National Hurricane Center said in a 2pm update. (More tropical storms stories.)

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