Tropical Storm Elsa caused at least one death in Florida and several injuries at a Georgia Navy base since it made landfall in the United States.
A man was killed Wednesday in Jacksonville after a tree fell and struck two vehicles during 50-mph wind gusts. No others were injured as the storm ripped through Northern Florida, despite weakening from a Category 1 hurricane Tuesday.
Hours later, a tornado roiled the Kingsbay Naval Submarine Base in St. Marys, Georgia, wounding at least 10 after the cyclone toppled cars and trucks in the complex’s RV park, authorities said. Buildings at the base were damaged, and all injured parties were transported to local hospitals.
ELSA PICKS UP STEAM AS FLORIDA DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY
“While the situation here is still very dynamic, I want to thank all of our first responders and Camden County first responders for their quick actions,” said Capt. Chester Parks, the commanding officer at the military installation, in a statement. “Their quick response most certainly helped.”
Video footage taken in the aftermath of the tornado showed debris and flipped RVs.
— Sergio Rodriguez (@LyftGyft) July 7, 2021
Elsa made landfall in Georgia after largely sparing much of Florida with 45-mph maximum sustained winds. The storm jetted over South Carolina late Thursday into Friday morning and is set to arrive in Eastern North Carolina and Virginia.
Small-scale power outages have been noted in the aftermath of the storm. In South Carolina, nearly 17,000 homes were without electricity, while in Georgia, more than 7,000 residences were experiencing the same, according to tabulations from poweroutage.us. In Florida, more than 2,700 homes lost power.
Elsa, the first hurricane of the 2021 Atlantic season, prompted multiple Florida counties to declare a state of emergency after it ripped through several islands in the Caribbean and forced about 180,000 Cubans to evacuate their homes.
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The storm, which was expected to roil Tampa, largely left the coastal area unscathed.
“We’re fortunate to see minimal damage & flooding this morning, but it’s important to keep safety top of mind. Be aware of your surroundings & don’t drive through flood waters,” wrote Tampa Mayor Jane Castor in a tweet.
