Tropical Storm Watches were issued for the Florida Keys and Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for several counties on Saturday as Tropical Storm Elsa continued moving through the Caribbean on a track that would bring it to Florida late Monday and early Tuesday.

It was announced during a press briefing as officials gave an update on the search efforts underway at the site of the deadly condo collapse in Surfside.

Tropical Storm Elsa is expected to bring heavy rains and tropical-storm-force winds to Cuba and Jamaica on Sunday, forecasters say. Florida remains in its projected path, with landfall in the state expected early Wednesday morning. 
 
In their latest advisory, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that Tropical Storm Elsa is currently located about 45 miles east-northeast of Kingston, Jamaica, and about 145 miles southeast of Cabo Cruz, Cuba. It is currently moving towards the west-northwest at 13 mph with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph.

"The severity of the storm is still uncertain," he said. "The state of emergency applies to the following counties: Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Desoto, Hardy, Hernando Hillsborough, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Pasco, Pinellas and Sarasota counties."

Florida is preparing for the risk of isolated tornadoes, flash flooding and storm surge, DeSantis said.

Elsa was downgraded to a Tropical Storm after strengthening into the first hurricane of the 2021 season.

Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said Saturday two more bodies were found in the rubble of a collapsed condo building, bringing the number of confirmed dead to 24. The number of people who remain unaccounted for in the collapse was 124.