Elsa makes landfall as tropical storm in Florida

Tropical Storm Elsa made landfall in Florida as a tropical storm after officials predicted it would become a Category 1 hurricane on Wednesday.

The National Hurricane Center said Elsa hit north Florida’s Taylor County with speeds up to 65 miles per hour.

“Clearly, this could have been worse,” Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said in a morning press conference, The Associated Press reported.

DeSantis previously said Elsa was expected to be a hurricane when it reached land, but the system weakened hours before making landfall. 

This is the second time Elsa had become a hurricane and then was downgraded to a tropical storm. 

The hurricane warning placed on many areas has been lifted, but flash flooding and power outages are still expected in the state. 

“We’re fortunate to see minimal damage & flooding this morning, but it’s important to keep safety top of mind,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor (D) tweeted Wednesday.

There are 26,000 customers without power in Tampa, DeSantis said.

Elsa did not directly hit the Key West, although flooding and power outages affected the area, but a boat capsized and nine people are still missing. 

The storm has also impeded search and rescue efforts happening at a Surfside, Fla., condo building that collapsed