A tropical storm approaches the west coast of Florida. There are warnings of sometimes life-threatening storm surges.
Miami – The tropical storm “Elsa” has continued to approach the west coast of the US state Florida after its passage through the Caribbean.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami announced in its latest situation report from early morning that it will hit land late Wednesday morning (local time) along the Gulf of Mexico in Florida. On Thursday he will then move across the southeastern United States.
Late Tuesday, the agency briefly classified the storm as a hurricane after it had gained strength. Then he weakened again. “Elsa” last moved at a speed of 22 kilometers per hour, while its winds reached about 115 kilometers per hour, as the management report said. The authority warned of sometimes life-threatening storm surges in various areas of Florida.
Rescue work in Miami made difficult
Extensions of the storm had previously hindered the rescue work after the fatal house collapse near Miami. The residential complex with around 130 units collapsed on June 24 for reasons that were still unclear. According to the mayor of Miami-Dade, Daniella Levine Cava (Tuesday evening, local time), the official number of dead is 36. Dozens of people are still missing. According to forecasts, “Elsa” should not hit the east coast of the state and thus the site of the accident with full force.
“Elsa” had already swept across the Caribbean and caused severe damage there. Several people were killed. The tropical storm had gained strength at the end of last week and was temporarily classified as a hurricane – later the intensity of the storm decreased again and “Elsa” was downgraded again. The hurricane season in the Atlantic lasts from June to November. “Elsa” was the first Atlantic hurricane of the year. dpa
