On Tuesday, July 6, Hurricane Elsa became the first Category 1 storm to enter the Gulf of Mexico during the 2021 hurricane season. The Direct Broadcast Receiving System operated by the Center for Space Research collected a visible color image from NASA’s Aqua MODIS instrument showing Elsa crossing the upper Gulf coast of Florida on July 7 at 12:31 PM CDT after passing over the Florida Keys. CSR captures direct broadcast satellite transmissions to monitor storm impacts and alert first responder teams. The early July arrival of Elsa increases the odds that more hurricanes will be monitored in the Gulf during 2021.