Looking north at the neighborhood of Paradise Island on Treasure Island, Florida, outer bands of tropical storm, Elsa brings a downpour of rain over the area on Tuesday afternoon, July 6, 2021. Elsa is expected to impact the Tampa Bay area the heaviest during the predawn hours of Wednesday morning. Marc Topkin
Athos Karistinos, 13, center, and his brother, Anastasios Karistinos, 16, emerge from their family’s gift shop, Sponge Diver Supply, after helping their father fortify the windows and doors at the business on Dodecanese Blvd at the Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks on Tuesday, July 6, 2021, where residents and business owners were preparing for the arrival of Tropical Storm Elsa. DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times
Foot traffic was sparse and most businesses closed by late Tuesday, July 6, 2021, on Dodecanese Blvd at the Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks where building were being prepared for the arrival of Tropical Storm Elsa. DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times
Stelios Uzunbylu, left, and Jerry Kalouris, right, secure a tarp over a cargo hold on his sponge boat on Tuesday, July 6, 2021, on Dodecanese Blvd at the Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks where businesses were being closed and boats were being prepared for the arrival of Tropical Storm Elsa. DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times
John Jelkl, 71, has his wheel chair loaded down with sandbags as he leaves the sandbagging site in the parking lot of the James “JC” Turner Fields, 643 22nd Avenue South at Bartlett Park on Tuesday, July 6, 2021 in St. Petersburg. Pictured in the background, on left, are cars waiting in line for sandbags. “I stay in a place that is low,” Jelkl said. “I gotta put down sandbags so water won’t get in.” DIRK SHADD | Times
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Jonathan Hines, left, catches a sandbag tossed by Jovan Williams, both with the City of St. Petersburg Stormwater Department, as they work along with 15-20 other employees to load up cars at the sandbag distribution site in the parking lot of the James “JC” Turner Fields, 643 22nd Avenue S in St. Petersburg onTuesday, July 6, 2021 DIRK SHADD | Times
Cars line up on 4th St. S. wrapping along the corner to 22nd Ave. S as they wait for the sand bagging location to open in the parking lot of the James “JC” Turner Fields at Bartlett Park on Tuesday, July 6, 2021 in St. Petersburg. DIRK SHADD | Times
Flight cancellations seen on a board at Tampa International Airport's cell phone waiting lot on Tuesday, July 6, 2021. IVY CEBALLO | Times
Tim Mullen, 47, and Michael Brissette, 11, cover their windows with hurricane shutters in preparation for Tropical Storm Elsa, Tuesday, July 6, 2021 in Tampa. ARIELLE BADER | Times
Melissa Loven, Qi Crystal Energy shop owner, (left) and Crea Egan (right) prepare the store ahead of tropical storm Elsa Tuesday, July 6, 2021. JOHN PENDYGRAFT | Times
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Palm trees blow in the wind in front of an overcast Tampa skyline before Tropical Storm Elsa approaches the area on Tuesday, July 6, 2021. IVY CEBALLO | Times
Shawn Frazier, 61, reinforces tarps over his Tampa home's roof ahead of Tropical Storm Elsa on Tuesday, July 6, 2021. Frazier said there was some leaking he caught during a recent rainy day. "Making sure everything is ready for the storm, I don't think it's going to be a really big storm but you can never discount nature." IVY CEBALLO | Times
Visitors enjoy Clearwater Beach on Tuesday, July 6, 2021, as the Tampa Bay area prepares for the arrival of Hurricane Elsa. DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times
The sun sets over Clearwater Beach and Pier 60 on Tuesday, July 6, 2021, as the Tampa Bay area prepares for the arrival of Hurricane Elsa. DOUGLAS R. CLIFFORD | Times
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/2TMLWXWMD5DH3HEBIQX6FBAEFA.jpg "Looking north at the neighborhood of Paradise Island on Treasure Island, Florida, outer bands of tropical storm, Elsa brings a downpour of rain over the area on Tuesday afternoon, July 6, 2021. Elsa is expected to impact the Tampa Bay area the heaviest during the predawn hours of Wednesday morning.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/P4SLH7DGNBCW5HGK2VDAMP7YSM.jpg "Athos Karistinos, 13, center, and his brother, Anastasios Karistinos, 16, emerge from their family’s gift shop, Sponge Diver Supply, after helping their father fortify the windows and doors at the business on Dodecanese Blvd at the Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks on Tuesday, July 6, 2021, where residents and business owners were preparing for the arrival of Tropical Storm Elsa.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/DNNWYTK4ZNHVBCRGTCWF7HFW7U.jpg "Foot traffic was sparse and most businesses closed by late Tuesday, July 6, 2021, on Dodecanese Blvd at the Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks where building were being prepared for the arrival of Tropical Storm Elsa.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/DD3CQLHOMNB3LMBMLOF66K3JOI.jpg "Stelios Uzunbylu, left, and Jerry Kalouris, right, secure a tarp over a cargo hold on his sponge boat on Tuesday, July 6, 2021, on Dodecanese Blvd at the Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks where businesses were being closed and boats were being prepared for the arrival of Tropical Storm Elsa.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/5ZDCWYWPPNAY7LJFBD3SZ3Q7MU.JPG "John Jelkl, 71, has his wheel chair loaded down with sandbags as he leaves the sandbagging site in the parking lot of the James “JC” Turner Fields, 643 22nd Avenue South at Bartlett Park on Tuesday, July 6, 2021 in St. Petersburg. Pictured in the background, on left, are cars waiting in line for sandbags. “I stay in a place that is low,” Jelkl said. “I gotta put down sandbags so water won’t get in.”")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/TBWRX3JVJBEPTL3X25U2TM3E4I.JPG "Jonathan Hines, left, catches a sandbag tossed by Jovan Williams, both with the City of St. Petersburg Stormwater Department, as they work along with 15-20 other employees to load up cars at the sandbag distribution site in the parking lot of the James “JC” Turner Fields, 643 22nd Avenue S in St. Petersburg onTuesday, July 6, 2021")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/YNCUQ37OIJHQJLCUZFIZA3YO2Y.JPG "Cars line up on 4th St. S. wrapping along the corner to 22nd Ave. S as they wait for the sand bagging location to open in the parking lot of the James “JC” Turner Fields at Bartlett Park on Tuesday, July 6, 2021 in St. Petersburg.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/NKW4SPI7CNBO7IL4JOOAVWGOXY.JPG "Flight cancellations seen on a board at Tampa International Airport's cell phone waiting lot on Tuesday, July 6, 2021.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/KAXG2DT4MJG6RPKSTP6BDOA36Q.JPG "Tim Mullen, 47, and Michael Brissette, 11, cover their windows with hurricane shutters in preparation for Tropical Storm Elsa, Tuesday, July 6, 2021 in Tampa.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/774V5TY6C5FPPO5TFBRAJHPUGQ.JPG "Melissa Loven, Qi Crystal Energy shop owner, (left) and Crea Egan (right) prepare the store ahead of tropical storm Elsa Tuesday, July 6, 2021.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/5ZJVWWI4HRFZRHAPXZFLYWZHXY.JPG "Palm trees blow in the wind in front of an overcast Tampa skyline before Tropical Storm Elsa approaches the area on Tuesday, July 6, 2021.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/HZIICA4VTRBZXEZPU43MYOJUCA.JPG "Shawn Frazier, 61, reinforces tarps over his Tampa home's roof ahead of Tropical Storm Elsa on Tuesday, July 6, 2021. Frazier said there was some leaking he caught during a recent rainy day. \"Making sure everything is ready for the storm, I don't think it's going to be a really big storm but you can never discount nature.\"")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/FRMIFYPSIZHVZNH2NPUDCCDMOY.jpg "Visitors enjoy Clearwater Beach on Tuesday, July 6, 2021, as the Tampa Bay area prepares for the arrival of Hurricane Elsa.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/K4VGMVYJ5BCJXCISTWECLFLCJY.jpg "The sun sets over Clearwater Beach and Pier 60 on Tuesday, July 6, 2021, as the Tampa Bay area prepares for the arrival of Hurricane Elsa.")
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/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/tbt/8098f526-57ad-4197-9d55-24f811caa857.png "Boyzell Hosey - Deputy Editor, Photography")
