Tropical Storm Elsa entered the Florida Straits early this morning and is headed towards the Florida Keys after drenching Cuba and killing at least three people in the Caribbean.

The National Weather Service issued an advisory this morning placing a portion of the west-central coast and the Big Bend coast under a hurricane watch. Residents of this area are encouraged to monitor the latest weather advisories.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the storm was expected to be near the Florida Keys later this morning. It is expected to pass near or over portions of Florida’s west coast by late today and into tomorrow.