Elsa is the farthest east a hurricane has formed this early in the year in the tropical Atlantic since 1933, says hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach.
Elsa strengthened into the first hurricane of the Atlantic season on Friday as it battered the eastern Caribbean, where officials closed schools, businesses and airports under the threat of flash flooding and landslides. Heavy rains and winds lashed Barbados as the Category 1 storm headed for islands including St. Vincent and the Grenadines, which are still struggling to recover from recent volcanic eruptions. Elsa was located about 75 miles east of St. Vincent and was moving west-northwest at 28 mph. It had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. « That level of sustained wind can blow down a lot of buildings and cause a lot of damage, » said St. Vincent Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves. « I am pleading with you. Let us not take this hurricane lightly. This is not the time to play the fool.
