The tropical storm Elsa with wind speeds of 65 mph, brought heavy rainfall in central Cuba. This translated into flash floods and mudslides and disturbed travel plans of many. It also damaged infrastructures like electric poles, bridges, and roads.
Homes and businesses with renewable energy provisions like solar panels or batteries could ward off spending dark nights. The met department predicts that Elsa would move from the northern coast of Cuba into the Gulf of Mexico. Wind speeds might be in the range of 60-65 mph as the storm heads off the west coast of Florida.
CNN says Elsa will mean heavy rain, gusty winds, and increased surf activity. It could make landfall near Cedar Key. The National Hurricane Center NHC explains that governments had dropped advisories for eastern Cuba and Jamaica since the storm moved towards the West. However, because of changed circumstances, hurricane warnings have been slapped on a couple of Cuban provinces. Jamaica would continue to be in the grip of additional rainfall accompanied by flash floods and mudslides.
The storm could affect search and rescue operations of the collapsed condo
The focus of the search and rescue teams is still on the collapsed portion of the Champlain Towers South condo. Officials are maintaining a close watch on the storm while searching for survivors or their remains.
The authorities demolished the remaining portion of the building. There was a sense of urgency because of fears that a storm could put rescue teams at risk. The threats include lightning strikes coupled with spells of heavy rainfall, etcetera. CNN quotes a meteorologist saying parts of the Florida Keys could experience tropical storm conditions with wind speeds around 40mph.
Climatic conditions of this nature disturb the lives of the people. These are the ill effects of global warming, and the world has to realize its seriousness and take corrective action. President Joe Biden has approved an Emergency Declaration for Florida because of the imminent storm. It authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA to coordinate efforts inked to disaster relief efforts in southern Florida.
In June, tropical storm Claudette targeted the Gulf Coast.
Report of three deaths linked to the storm
CNN describes the probable route of tropical storm Elsa. It will finally exit back into the Atlantic as a tropical depression. So far, there are reports of three-loss of lives that could have links to the storm. These were from St. Lucia and the Dominican Republic. The strong winds from Elsa led to a collapse in Bahoruco and the death of a 15-year-old. In Bani, it was a 75-year-old. The storm damaged the roofs of several houses. While interacting with the media, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley of Barbados said: "It could have been far worse, but it was bad enough." She added that it was a challenging event in recent times concerning Climate.
The storm led to the evacuation of 180,000 people in Cuba
According to Fox News, tropical storm Elsa made landfall in Cuba and moved towards Florida. The National Hurricane Center cautioned about significant mudslides in Cuba due to the heavy rains. The country had to arrange the evacuation of thousands of people. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis advised all Floridians to prepare for the possibility of heavy rain, flooding, and potential power outages. He added: "Now is the time to restock your supplies and review your hurricane plan."
