A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for…
* Altamaha Sound, Georgia, to Sandy Hook, New Jersey
* Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds
* Chesapeake Bay south of North Beach and the tidal Potomac south of Cobb Island
* Delaware Bay south of Slaughter Beach
* Long Island from East Rockaway Inlet to the eastern tip along the south shore and from Port Jefferson Harbor eastward on the north shore
* New Haven, Connecticut to Merrimack River, Massachusetts including Cape Cod, Block Island, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket
Tropical storm conditions are expected in the Tropical Storm Warning area along the Georgia coast for the next few hours, along the South Carolina coast this morning, along the North Carolina coast later today, and along the mid-Atlantic coast by this afternoon.
Tropical storm conditions are expected in the warning area in the mid-Atlantic and northeastern states by Friday and Friday night.
Non-tropical gale warnings are in effect for portions of the U. S. coast north of the Tropical Storm Warning area, and gale conditions are expected in this area late Friday and Friday night.
Interests elsewhere in the northeastern United States and the Canadian Maritimes should monitor the progress of Elsa.
For storm information specific to your area in the United States, including possible inland watches and warnings, please monitor products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast office – www.weather.gov
At 5 a.m. EDT, the center of Tropical Storm Elsa was located inland over South Carolina about 90 miles (145 km) west-northwest of Charleston. It’s moving toward the northeast near 18 mph (30 km/h), and this general motion is expected to continue with an increase in forward speed during the next couple of days.
On the forecast track, Elsa will move over South Carolina and North Carolina today, pass near the eastern mid-Atlantic states by tonight, and move near or over the northeastern United States on Friday and Friday night. The system should move over Atlantic Canada by Friday night and Saturday.
Maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph (65 km/h) with higher gusts. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 115 miles (185 km) mainly over water to the southeast of the center. The NOAA station at Folly Island, South Carolina, recently reported sustained winds of 38 mph (61 km/h) and a wind gust of 46 mph (74 km/h).
Some re-strengthening is possible tonight and Friday while the system moves close to the northeastern United States. Elsa is forecast to become a post-tropical cyclone Friday night or Saturday.
Elsa is expected to produce the following rainfall amounts and impacts this week:
Across portions of South Carolina, storm totals of 3 to 5 inches with isolated maximum amounts up to 8 inches are likely through Thursday, which may result in limited flash and urban flooding.
Across central and eastern North Carolina into southeastern Virginia and from the Mid-Atlantic into New England…2 to 4 inches of rain with isolated totals up to 6 inches on Thursday through Friday are possible, which could result in limited-to-considerable flash and urban flooding, as well as isolated minor river flooding.
A few tornadoes are possible across the eastern Carolinas into southeast Virginia through this afternoon. The threat for a tornado or two may continue tonight into Friday morning across coastal portions of the Mid-Atlantic to southern New England.
The next complete advisory will be issued by NHC at 11 a.m. EDT with an intermediate advisory at 8 a.m. EDT – www.hurricanes.gov
