Tropics update: Tracking Hurricane Elsa | View forecast track

HOUSTON — The National Hurricane Center says Elsa has strengthened into a hurricane.

As of Friday at 7 A.M., Elsa had a sustained wind of 75 mph. It’s moving to the west-northwest at 31 miles per hour.

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The hurricane is not expected to be a problem for Texas, but the Caribbean and Florida are watching the forecast path closely. KHOU 11 Chief Meteorologist David Paul has an update from the 4 p.m. Advisory.

1. Hurricane conditions and dangerous storm surge are expected within the Hurricane Warning areas in Haiti and the Dominican Republic beginning Saturday and in Jamaica beginning Sunday.  

2. Heavy rainfall will gradually subside across the Windward and southern Leeward Islands tonight, including Barbados. Outer rain bands will impact Puerto Rico by late tonight, and affect southern Hispaniola and Jamaica Saturday into Sunday. Isolated to scattered flash flooding and mudslides are possible. By early next week, heavy rain will impact the Cayman Islands and Cuba. Significant flooding and mudslides are possible.

3. Hurricane conditions and dangerous storm surge are possible in portions of eastern Cuba beginning early Sunday where a Hurricane Watch is in effect. There is an increasing risk of wind, storm surge, and rainfall impacts elsewhere in Cuba Sunday and Monday.  

4. There is an increasing risk of storm surge, wind, and rainfall impacts beginning Monday in the Florida Keys and spreading northward along the Florida Peninsula through Tuesday. However, the forecast uncertainty remains larger than usual due to Elsa’s potential interaction with the islands of Hispaniola and Cuba this weekend. Interests throughout Florida should monitor Elsa’s progress and updates to the forecast.

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