Hurricane Elsa – Update #2 – 7/2/2021
University of Florida officials are actively monitoring Hurricane Elsa, and much remains unknown about its path. Here’s what we know today:
Heavy rainfall from Elsa will move quickly across Windward and southern Leeward Islands today, including Barbados. Outer rains bands will impact Puerto Rico late today and tomorrow. Hurricane conditions are expected in the hurricane warning area in Haiti on Saturday and tropical storm conditions are expected with hurricane conditions possible along the southern coast of the Dominican Republic and in Jamaica.
There is an increasing risk of strong winds, storm surge and rainfall impacts in portions of Cuba this weekend and early next week, with impacts also expected in Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas.
All of the Florida Peninsula as well as the Big Bend and eastern Panhandle regions are now within the forecast error cone. The official National Hurricane Center forecast track brings Elsa’s center across the Peninsula on Tuesday through Wednesday morning. However, there is significant uncertainty in both the track and intensity forecasts due to the Elsa’s potential interaction with the Greater Antilles this weekend.
All UF units in Florida should monitor forecasts and be prepared to implement plans, especially heading into a holiday weekend.
Elsa is expected to remain a hurricane for the next 12-48 hours and then weaken back to tropical storm status due to land interaction. No tropical storm warnings or watches are currently in place for the state of Florida but will most likely be tomorrow for the Keys and southern Florida. The current forecast indicates tropical storm winds will most likely reach the Keys during the day on Monday and then spread into the Peninsula Monday night into Tuesday.
No tropical storm warnings or watches are currently in place for Alachua County, and no operational changes are anticipated for the UF campus in Gainesville. We will continue to monitor and update the UF community on expected impacts or schedule changes as information becomes available.
For additional information, please visit National Hurricane Center
