Elsa leaves minimal damage in Sarasota County

Tropical Storm Elsa, which briefly reached hurricane status as a category 1 storm Tuesday night, passed offshore Sarasota County early Wednesday morning, leaving behind minimal damage. 

Around 8 p.m. Tuesday evening, Elsa was reclassified as a hurricane as Tampa-based radar indicated the storm produced winds reaching 75 mph. 

As the hurricane passed the coast of Sarasota County, the area received about 2 inches of rain across the area. A wind gust of 54 mph was recorded at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport in a squall, though the highest sustained winds were charted at 35 mph. 

Tropical Storm Elsa landed around 11 a.m. Wednesday as a 65 mph storm near Cedar Key. 

Flooding was reported in the south end of Sarasota County, though no homes were impacted. No street closures were reported in the north end of the county, though county officials continued to survey the area. 

Drivers are reminded to look out for standing water on roadways and any downed power lines. 

Both the city and county offices are open for normal business hours Wednesday. City summer camps have resumed, though county camps and reservations made at county recreation facilities are canceled until Thursday. 

Sarasota County Area Transit is resuming its normal routes, though the OnDemand service may be affected by some flooding in North Port. 

At SRQ airport, operations resumed on Wednesday morning after an overnight closure. A Delta Air Lines flight left at 9 a.m. for Atlanta. A Delta flight arrived from Atlanta at 7:56 a.m. Other air carriers were resuming their schedules.