Outer rainbands of the large hurricane produced squally weather over parts of northern Florida as early as the morning of August 30. By then, the low-lying coastline near Apalachicola already began to flood. Elena would continue to affect the state for several days as it meandered offshore, resulting in moderate to heavy rainfall. Upwards of accumulated in many locations, peaking at near Cross City and reaching at Apalachicola. Farther south in the Tampa area, the precipitation was less significant, exceeding at Clearwater. Parts of the state's northeastern coast—farther away from the hurricane's center—also saw formidable rainfall, with a local maximum of at Jacksonville. Still, those totals represented a relatively dry storm, considering its long duration. Despite initial hopes that the hurricane would help alleviate drought conditions across interior portions of southern Florida, precipitation there was generally inconsequential.