This In
MIAMI, July 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) — As Tropical Storm Elsa creeps over the southeast and continues north, it has wreaked havoc near the Georgia-Florida border, leaving at least one person dead and multiple injured.
Winds from Elsa caused a tree to fall on two cars during an afternoon commute in Jacksonville, Florida, killing one person, according to Capt. Eric Prosswimmer with the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department.
In Georgia, there were reports of multiple injuries and damage after a suspected tornado touched down at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, about 40 miles north of Jacksonville. The possible tornado touched down around 5:50 p.m. ET, according to the base.
Many of the inured were taken to local hospitals for treatment, the base said. The base reported there was no damage to any sensitive military asset or submarine.
“The tornado was spawned in the outer bands on the eastern side of Tropical Storm Elsa, where tornadoes are most common with landfalling tropical systems,” meteorologist Taylor Ward said.
A new tornado watch has just been issued for portions of Georgia and South Carolina, including Savannah and Charleston. This watch is in place until 5 a.m. ET as Tropical Storm Elsa could trigger additional tornadoes into the overnight hours, Ward said.
While at least one person died in the US, at least three have already died in Elsa’s path. Three deaths in the Caribbean were linked to the storm.
Elsa is expected to weaken to tropical depression by Thursday, when it reaches the Carolinas before heading to the mid-Atlantic coast. Elsa “will likely become a tropical storm again” on Friday as the center moves along or just off the eastern seaboard where it could threaten New York City and Boston on Friday, according to the NHC.
Tropical
More than 4.9 million people were under a tropical storm warning across parts of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina on Wednesday afternoon. A tropical storm watch has also been issued up north in parts of New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts. — NNN-AGENCIES
