Heavy Rains, Winds <br />and Power Outages Occur, as Storm Elsa Batters Florida.<br />On July 6, tropical storm Elsa was briefly <br />upgraded to a hurricane overnight. .<br />According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), <br />the storm was approximately 65 miles <br />southwest of Tampa with sustained winds of 75 mph.<br />According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), <br />the storm was approximately 65 miles <br />southwest of Tampa with sustained winds of 75 mph.<br />Several hours later, the hurricane warning <br />was downgraded to a tropical storm <br />by the NHC.<br />The storm is expected to make landfall over the northern Florida Gulf Coast on July 7.<br />Tropical storm conditions are <br />occurring across portions <br />of southwest Florida and will <br />continue to spread <br />northward along the west coast <br />of the state within the warning area <br />through Wednesday morning, National Hurricane Center, via The Independent.<br />Florida Governor Ron DeSantis expanded the existing state of emergency from 15 counties to 33, while hurricane warnings are in place for seven.<br />Commercial flights from the Tampa airport were briefly suspended until 10 a.m. July 7. .<br />Elsa is the first hurricane of the 2021 <br />Atlantic season to affect the sunshine city
