AVN 66.93 Decreased By ▼ -0.17 (-0.25%)
BAFL 29.54 Decreased By ▼ -0.21 (-0.71%)
BOP 4.06 Decreased By ▼ -0.01 (-0.25%)
CNERGY 3.62 Decreased By ▼ -0.11 (-2.95%)
DFML 11.94 Decreased By ▼ -0.31 (-2.53%)
DGKC 43.26 Decreased By ▼ -2.10 (-4.63%)
EPCL 45.97 Decreased By ▼ -1.03 (-2.19%)
FCCL 11.81 Decreased By ▼ -0.19 (-1.58%)
FFL 5.91 Decreased By ▼ -0.04 (-0.67%)
FLYNG 6.04 Decreased By ▼ -0.14 (-2.27%)
GGL 11.41 Decreased By ▼ -0.48 (-4.04%)
HUBC 68.11 Decreased By ▼ -0.39 (-0.57%)
HUMNL 5.64 Decreased By ▼ -0.08 (-1.4%)
KAPCO 24.91 Decreased By ▼ -0.34 (-1.35%)
KEL 2.13 Decreased By ▼ -0.01 (-0.47%)
LOTCHEM 24.95 Decreased By ▼ -0.41 (-1.62%)
MLCF 24.91 Decreased By ▼ -0.79 (-3.07%)
NETSOL 75.92 Decreased By ▼ -1.88 (-2.42%)
OGDC 85.99 Decreased By ▼ -2.13 (-2.42%)
PAEL 11.11 Decreased By ▼ -0.54 (-4.64%)
PIBTL 3.99 Decreased By ▼ -0.13 (-3.16%)
PPL 66.27 Decreased By ▼ -2.44 (-3.55%)
PRL 12.92 Decreased By ▼ -0.33 (-2.49%)
SILK 0.87 Decreased By ▼ -0.01 (-1.14%)
SNGP 40.72 Decreased By ▼ -0.98 (-2.35%)
TELE 7.57 Decreased By ▼ -0.40 (-5.02%)
TPLP 15.05 Decreased By ▼ -0.37 (-2.4%)
TRG 110.33 Decreased By ▼ -2.23 (-1.98%)
UNITY 13.52 Decreased By ▼ -0.58 (-4.11%)
WTL 1.21 Decreased By ▼ -0.02 (-1.63%)
BR100 4,081 Decreased By -61.9 (-1.49%)
BR30 14,631 Decreased By -307.2 (-2.06%)
KSE100 40,376 Decreased By -501.9 (-1.23%)
KSE30 14,916 Decreased By -172.3 (-1.14%)
World

Elsa strengthens to hurricane as it closes in on Florida

  • After making landfall on the Florida coast it is expected to move inland into the southeastern United States on Thursday, the NHC said
Published July 7, 2021
Follow us

MIAMI: After battering Cuba with drenching rain and strong winds, Elsa regained hurricane strength late Tuesday as it closed in on Florida, where rescue workers pressed on with their search of the debris of a Miami condominium that collapsed almost two weeks ago.

The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Elsa had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph) and was just offshore the Tampa Bay area at 11:00 pm (0300 GMT), with "heavy rains and gusty winds spreading inland across southwest and west-central Florida."

After making landfall on the Florida coast it is expected to move inland into the southeastern United States on Thursday, the NHC said.

With a possible storm surge of up to five feet (1.5 meters), Tampa airport suspended commercial flights from 5:00 pm Tuesday until at least 10:00 am Wednesday.

Florida Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nunez called on state residents to start preparing for the storm, including the possibility of power blackouts and asked people to stockpile adequate supplies of food and water.

"If you are asked to evacuate, please leave," she said, reminding people that there were emergency shelters ready to accommodate them.

Elsa left a trail of destruction through the Caribbean, claiming at least three lives. It was logged as the first hurricane of this year's Atlantic season on Friday before being downgraded Saturday to a tropical storm again -- and then back up to a hurricane Tuesday.

Over 100,000 people were evacuated from coastal or low-lying areas as the storm cut through Cuba, with the nation's meteorological institute Insmet reporting winds of up to 100 kilometers (62 miles) per hour.

But its forecasted westward path meant Florida appeared set to avoid the worst of the storm, with the southwest coast of the state set to experience a glancing blow rather than the direct hit expected earlier.

In Surfside, on Florida's east coast, workers on Sunday used explosives in the controlled demolition of the still-standing portion of a collapsed condo building -- a job accelerated for fear Elsa might topple the structure.

The condo disaster left 36 confirmed deaths, but another 109 people are still listed as missing.

On Monday, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told CNN that officials were "very hopeful" that, with Elsa's current path, they would not have to pause search-and-rescue efforts after all.

Comments

Comments are closed.

Elsa strengthens to hurricane as it closes in on Florida

‘Shady’ contract to Chinese firm: Senate panel accuses World Bank office of ‘conniving’ with NTDC

RLNG power plants owned by NPPMCL: BoI engaging ADQ and IHC to ascertain their interest

CJP says audio-video leaks bereft of authenticity

ECP postpones Punjab elections to Oct 8

Two IGs, ‘handlers’ plan to ‘kill me like Murtaza Bhutto’: IK

Financing fuel subsidy: Rich to pay Rs100 more per litre: govt

Money laundering, terrorism financing: Customs dept directed to refer cases to CTD

SC says 50pc of deemed IT to be paid till adjudication of pending appeal

Reconstitution of NEC approved

Parliament’s attention drawn to ‘existence’ of ‘armed groups’