Tropical storm and storm surge warnings issued for SWFL coast

As of the Monday 11 p.m. advisory, Elsa regains a bit of strength as it moves away from the island of Cuba. The maximum sustained wind is up to 60 mph. Although Southwest Florida is not in the forecast cone, we will still experience impacts from Tropical Storm Elsa. Threats will be highest on Tuesday. […]

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Southwest Florida still preparing as Tropical Storm Elsa slows

Charlotte County Leaders in Charlotte County aren’t letting their guard down as Tropical Storm Elsa approaches Southwest Florida. Emergency management operations there are currently at Level 2, which means partial activation. Some took advantage of the holiday to get out onto the water and enjoy the sun before Elsa arrives. Mike Laney and Maggie Marigold […]

Elsa: What you need to know now

As of the Wednesday 8 a.m. advisory, Elsa had a maximum sustained wind of 65 mph. A Flood Warning is in effect for Charlotte, Lee and DeSoto counties. Can’t find a copy of the WINK Hurricane Guide? You can download a copy here. All jury courts in Southwest Florida are closed Tuesday in response to […]

Tropical Storm Elsa headed to landfall on central Cuba coast; 180,000 evacuated

Tropical Storm Elsa swept along Cuba’s southern coast early Monday, and forecasters said it could make landfall on the island’s central shore by midafternoon. By Sunday, Cuban officials had evacuated 180,000 people as a precaution against the possibility of heavy flooding from a storm that already battered several Caribbean islands, killing at least three people. […]

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Southwest Florida continues to prepare for Elsa

Tropical Storm Elsa may have an impact on Southwest Florida, so the time to add all those essentials to your hurricane kit is now. People have been stocking up on supplies and filling up on gas, especially ahead of some store closures for the Fourth of July. For now, water remains a hot commodity. Luckily, […]

DeSantis declares state of emergency in 4 SWFL counties ahead of Elsa

Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for coastal counties in Southwest Florida ahead of Elsa. DeSantis said he signed an order of declaration Saturday morning ahead of a press conference in Surfside where a building collapsed June 24. “I think what we are dealing with is a strong tropical storm right on […]

Bonita Springs families hope to see no potential flooding

Families we spoke to were not worried about Hurricane Elsa Friday night. They are preparing. They hope, if Elsa brings rain to Southwest Florida, they don’t see flooding like what Hurricane Sally brought in 2020. Some people who live along the Imperial River in Bonita Springs are leaving for the holiday weekend and hoping the […]

Many new home buyers to experience first hurricane season in SWFL

Many cities in Southwest Florida are seeing a lot of growth. Construction crews are building thousands of new homes in Cape Coral, but that means lot of people dealing with their first hurricane season. If you remember what happened to toilet paper early in the pandemic, first responders told us the same things happens to […]

Shoppers prepare for July 4, possible hurricane impacts afterward

Many people were heading to local grocery stores and supermarkets Friday to stock up on supplies days ahead of possible impacts caused by Hurricane Elsa. The storm essentials included water, batteries and non-perishable food. We saw employees restock shelves with water right next to where the Fourth of July sparklers were on sale. “We have […]

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Forecast tracks can change at the last minute

Whether you’re new to Florida, or you’ve lived here for decades an important thing to remember is that storm tracks are fluid and that they may change quite a bit over the next few days. Elsa’s track reminds those who were here for Hurricane Charley in 2004 that anything can happen. While there is quite […]