Hurricane Elsa cuts power, blows roofs off in Barbados (updated)

National Healthcare

02/07/2021 15:00

(Adds comments from Reuters witness, NHC's forecast)
    By Robert Edison Sandiford
    CHRIST CHURCH, Barbados, July 2 (Reuters) - Hurricane Elsa
triggered power outages, blew the roofs off homes, knocked down
trees and caused flooding in areas of the island-nation of
Barbados on Friday, according to a Reuters witness. 
    Elsa strengthened into a hurricane earlier in the day and
was about 40 miles (64 km) west of Barbados, blowing maximum
sustained winds of 75 miles per hour (120 km/h), the U.S.
National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.
    The NHC said it activated a hurricane warning for Barbados,
St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, meaning hurricane
conditions are expected in the next few hours and preparations
to protect life and property should be rushed to completion.
    Elsa's progress should be monitored by the Windward Islands,
Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Dominican
Republic, and Cuba, the Miami-based NHC said. It forecast
additional hurricane warnings would likely be needed later in
the day for portions of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
    Elsa's storm surge is expected to raise water levels by as
much as 1 to 3 feet above normal tide levels in areas of onshore
winds in the hurricane warning area in the Windward Islands and
along the southern coast of Hispaniola.
    The NHC forecast rainfall totals of 3 to 6 inches with
maximums of 10 inches on Friday across the Windward and southern
Leeward Islands, including Barbados, which could lead to
isolated flash flooding and mudslides.  

 (Reporting by Robert Edison Sandiford in Christ Church,
Barbados; Additioanl reporting by Anthony Esposito in Mexico
City; Additional reporting by Nakul Iyer in Bengaluru; Editing
by Andrew Heavens, William Maclean)
 ((anthony.esposito@tr.com; +5255 5282 7140))