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Local experts: TS Elsa may or may not impact red tide

PINELLAS COUNTY — Now that tropical storm Elsa has come and gone, the big question for many in the Bay area is what that means for Red Tide.

“A lot of us are asking the very same question that you all are asking,” said Maya Burke.

Burke is the Assistant Director of the Tampa Bay Estuary program. She said one of two things could happen due to Elsa.

“Rainfall from [storms] oftentimes contains lots of nutrients that can further fuel algae blooms,” she said. “Then there’s also the possibility that this sort of breaks things up pushing red tide out.”