Severe weather from Tropical Storm Elsa spurred tornado warnings in Delaware and New Jersey early Friday as the system moved over the mid-Atlantic states and into the northeastern United States. It was not immediately clear whether a tornado touched down. The National Hurricane Center said in a 2 a.m. advisory that Elsa has maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (80 kph) and was located about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southwest of Atlantic City, New Jersey. Elsa was already blamed for one death in Florida on Wednesday. And the system previously sparked a damaging tornado in Georgia, AP reported. A tropical storm warning Friday morning stretched along the East Coast from Delaware to Massachusetts. Forecasters said Elsa was moving northeast at 25 mph (40 kph). The hurricane center said rainfall totals between 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 centimeters) were expected through Friday for eastern Mid-Atlantic states and into New England. Isolated totals up to 6 inches (15 centimeters) were possible. There was a risk of considerable flash and urban flooding. The tropical storm was expected to cross over the Northeast by the afternoon and move over Atlantic Canada by the night and Saturday. No significant change in strength was expected during the day, and Elsa is forecast to become a post-tropical cyclone by Friday night.
