DeSantis Expands State of Emergency for Additional Counties Ahead of Tropical Storm Elsa’s Landfall

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Tuesday expanded his original state of emergency covering 15 counties to include Baker, Bradford, Clay, Duval, Nassau, Putnam, and Union counties as Tropical Storm Elsa approaches the Florida coast.

DeSantis issued a state of emergency last week covering Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Pasco, Pinellas, and Sarasota counties. On Tuesday evening, he expanded it to include seven others:

According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Elsa currently has maximum sustained winds of 70 mph and is moving north at 10 mph. It is expected to strengthen to a hurricane before landfall:

Tropical Storm #Elsa Advisory 27: Elsa Expected to Become a Hurricane Before Landfall Over The Northern Florida Gulf Coast. https://t.co/VqHn0u1vgc

— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) July 6, 2021

“Hurricane conditions are expected tonight and early Wednesday along a portion of the west coast of Florida, where a Hurricane Warning is in effect,” according to the NHC:

Here are the 5 PM EDT Key Messages for Tropical Storm #Elsa. Strong winds and heavy rainfall will spread northward across west-central Florida through this evening. pic.twitter.com/NqxNzDfOar

— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) July 6, 2021

Hurricane conditions along the Florida Gulf Coast are expected as early as tonight.

Flooding and tornadoes are both threats that continue tonight into tomorrow for the Sunshine State. #Elsa pic.twitter.com/OEDrCpAdEX

— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) July 6, 2021

As #Elsa moves near or along the western Florida Peninsula through Wednesday, heavy rainfall may result in isolated flash, urban, and minor river flooding, with considerable flash and urban flooding possible in southwest and western portions of Florida. pic.twitter.com/Yz4gKvoSLu

— National Weather Service (@NWS) July 6, 2021

“Tropical storm conditions are occurring across portions of the Florida Keys and will spread northward along the west coast of the state within the warning area through Wednesday morning,” the NHC advisory continues, noting tropical storm conditions are expected in a “portion of southeastern Georgia and are possible elsewhere along much of the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina.”