Elsa strengthened to the first hurricane of the Atlantic season on Friday-hitting the eastern part of the Caribbean, where authorities closed schools, businesses and airports. Presumably, she will eventually head to Florida.
The category 1 storm caused heavy rains and winds in Barbados, and then in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, which are struggling to recover from recent volcanic eruptions.
Elsa’s location was recorded about 5 miles north of St. Vincent, she was moving from west to northwest at a speed of 29 miles per hour. According to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, the maximum wind speed was 75 mph.
Tropical Cyclone #Elsa hit Barbados on Friday with sustained winds of 74 mph, according to @NHC_Atlantic.
The category 1 storm is the first hurricane of the Atlantic season pic.twitter.com/Z7nwEPCd46
— Bloomberg Quicktake (@Quicktake) July 2, 2021
«Such a strong wind can bring down many buildings and cause a lot of damage,» said the prime Minister of St. Vincent, Ralph Gonsalvish.
«I’m begging you. Let’s not take this hurricane lightly. Now is not the time to fool around.»
A hurricane warning was in effect for Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, as well as in southern Haiti, from the capital Port-au-Prince to the southern border with the Dominican Republic.
The fast-moving storm is expected to reach the island of Hispaniola as a hurricane before weakening back to tropical storm strength — and possibly heading for Florida by early Tuesday.
