Tropical Storm Elsa gaining strength, could become hurricane again
Published:Tuesday | July 6, 2021 | 3:26 PM
ST PETERSBURG, Florida (AP) — The National Hurricane Center says Tropical Storm Elsa is strengthening and could become a hurricane before making landfall along Florida's northern Gulf coast.
The storm has already complicated the search for survivors in the collapse of a Miami-area condominium 12 days ago.
In addition to damaging winds and heavy rains, the Miami-based US National Hurricane Center warned of life-threatening storm surges, flooding and isolated tornadoes.
A hurricane warning has been issued for a long stretch of coastline, from Egmont Key at the mouth of Tampa Bay to the Steinhatchee River in Florida's Big Bend area.
“Although the environment is not conducive for significant strengthening before landfall, only a slight increase in intensity would result in Elsa becoming a hurricane” Tuesday night or early Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center said in its 2:00 p.m. advisory.
The Tampa area is highly vulnerable to storm surge because the offshore waters and Tampa Bay are quite shallow, experts say.
But on the barrier island beach towns along the Gulf Coast, it was largely business as usual with few shutters or plywood boards going up.
Free sandbags were being handed out at several locations, and a limited number of storm shelters opened Tuesday morning in at least four counties around the Tampa Bay area, although no evacuations have been ordered.
Nancy Brindley, 85, who lives in a seaside house built in 1923, said she has experienced 34 previous tropical cyclones and is not having shutters put on her windows.
Her main concern is what will happen to sand on the adjacent beach and the dunes that protect her house and others.
She's staying through the storm.
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