Tropical storm Elsa strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane as it bashed Florida’s southwestern coast Tuesday. The storm lathered Tampa and other cities on the Gulf of Mexico in heavy rain and 75 mph wind, leading authorities to issue flood warnings as well as tornado and hurricane watches. The storm is expected to make landfall in Florida’s panhandle region in the coming days and continue into the southeastern U.S., though it will weaken as it moves inland.