Residents urged to complete preparations as Tropical Storm Elsa forecast to impact island Minister of Home Affairs Wilfred Abrahams BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – Minister of Home Affairs Wilfred Abrahams and disaster preparedness officials here urged residents to move with urgency to get themselves and their properties in order ahead of Tropical Storm Elsa passing south of the island. With maximum sustained winds near 40 miles per hour, Tropical Storm Elsa is located about 680 miles east southeast of Barbados and is moving towards the west at 25 miles per hour. On its current forecast track, the storm center should pass about 40 miles to the south of Barbados on Friday morning.