St. Petersburg drone light show postponed due to tropical storm Elsa

The 2021 Duke Energy Drone Light Show at the St. Pete Pier originally planned for Tuesday has been postponed due to the approach of tropical storm Elsa, the city of St. Petersburg said Monday.

The event is rescheduled for July 31.

Event organizer Ferdian Jap of Big City Events said moving the show to a Saturday “will probably draw more than July 4 fireworks” which had an estimated crowd of 150,000 people in downtown St. Petersburg.

The first effects of Elsa are expected to reach the Tampa Bay area late Tuesday and into Wednesday.

“At this time, the severe inclement weather, high winds, rain as well as a high likelihood of lightning in and around downtown St. Petersburg has halted all outdoor activities in the area,” the city said in a press release.

The postponement is one of a number of delays or cancellations across the Tampa Bay region expected to come with the approach of the storm.

The University of South Florida announced earlier that all classes will take place remotely on Tuesday.

Residence halls and dining areas will remain open Tuesday on the Tampa and St. Petersburg campuses. For now, classes are expected to take place in person Wednesday.

Elsa update: Based on the latest weather information, all #USF classes will be delivered remotely on Tues., July 6. University leadership will continue to monitor the storm and will provide updates as needed.

Full update ⬇️ https://t.co/1qxqX9pjeK
— University of South Florida (@USouthFlorida) July 3, 2021