Elsa gets stronger heading north, creates tornados

In the Northeast Tropical Storm Elsa is hitting a busy highway only hours after another storm triggered extreme flooding in New York City.

FROM COAST TO COAST.IN THE NORTHEAST -- TROPICALSTORM ELSA IS HITTING ABUSY HIGHWAY THIS MORNING --ONLY HOURS AFTER ANOTHERSTORM TRIGGERED EXTREME FLOODINGIN NEWYORK CITY.A-B-C'S REENA ROY HAS THE LATESTFROM NEW YORKNATSNEW NIGHT WIND RAINTHIS MORNING- "ELSA" IS POWERINGUP THE EAST COAST,PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN - GUSTYWINDS - AND THEPOTENTIAL FOR TORNADOES.NATSIN NEW YORK CITY - COMMUTERSWADING THROUGH WHAT LOOKEDLIKE UNDERGROUND LAKES - ASWATER POURED INTOSUBWAY STATIONS -THE FLOODS - CRIPPLING SOMEOF THE CITY'S HIGHWAYS ANDSTREETS ?

MORE THAN A DOZENPEOPLE HAD TO BE RESCUEDFROM THIS EXPRESSWAY.NATSEARLIER, ELSA GAINING STRENGTHOVER THE CAROLINASBEFORE HEADING NORTH -IN VIRGINIA, THIS DRIVER -GETTING HIS FORD MUSTANG STUCKIN FEET OF WATER.AS OF LATE THURSDAY, ELSA HADSPAWNED AT LEAST ONETORNADO IN EVERY STATE IT HIT.NATSTHIS NEW VIDEO - SHOWING THETWISTER THAT HIT JACKSONVILLEMFLORIDA ?

ONE HUNDRED-AND- TENMILE-AN-HOUR WINDSDESTROYING EVERYTHING.MEANWHILE..

AS FLOODING RAINSINUNDATE THE EAST..

ANEXTREME DROUGHT IS EXPANDINGIN THE WEST.98-PERCENT OF THE UTAH IS NOW IN"EXTREME" OR "EXCEPTIONAL"DROUGHT CONDITIONS.IN CALIFORNIA, NINE MORECOUNTIES HAVE JUST BEEN ADDEDTO THE STATE'S DROUGHTEMERGENCY.THE GOVERNOR IS NOW ASKINGCALIFORNIANS TO VOLUNTARILYREDUCE THEIR WATER USAGE BY15-PERCENT.SOTNEWSOMEGOVURGECUTTINGWATERUSECA?NOT ONLY ON RESIDENCES, BUTINDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL ANDAGRICULTURAL OPERATIONS."ON-CAMERA CLOSE:BACK HERE IN THE NORTHEAST..ELSA COULD DROP 5 INCHES OF RAINTHIS MORNING AS IT HEADS TOBOSTON BY MIDDAY WITHWINDS UP TO 50 MPHREENA ROY, A-B-C NEWS, NEW YORKAND LET'S BRING CHIEFMETEOROLOGIST ELAINA RUSK BACK