Tropical Storm Elsa's 45 mph maximum sustained winds were centered over southern Georgia as of 8 p.m. Wednesday.
The storm was moving north-northeast at around 14 mph, but is expected to turn northeast overnight and pick up speed by late Thursday after passing through the Carolinas, according to the National Weather Center.
Areas between southern Georgia and South Carolina's Lowcountry are expected to see 3 to 5 inches of rain, with up to 8 in some areas. The rest of the East Coast up to New England could see between 1 and 3 inches.
A suspected tornado tore through Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay in Georgia, about 40 miles north of Jacksonville, Fla., where Tropical Storm Elsa caused its first fatality on U.S. soil earlier, officials said.
"There are reports of multiple injuries and damage to multiple recreational vehicles in the base RV park, and also reports of damage to buildings and structures on the installation," the base wrote in a Facebook post. "Many of the injured were transported to local medical facilities for treatment."
Tropical Storm Elsa was 115 miles west-southwest of Brunswick, Ga., at 5 p.m. Wednesday, but the National Weather Service had already issued tropical storm watches for New York's Long Island and parts of Connecticut and Massachusetts.
The storm was moving north at around 14 mph with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph.
The storm is expected to pick up its northeasterly pace Thursday and cross through the Carolinas.
{{#rendered}}Jacksonville, Fla., authorities said a falling tree killed on person Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. It happened during winds of up to 50 mph and heavy rains. The tree struck two vehicles, but no one else was hurt.
The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Wednesday afternoon that Tropical Storm Elsa's maximum sustained winds had decreased to near 50 mph with higher gusts.
Additional weakening is expected through Thursday as the storm moves over land.
At 2 p.m. ET Elsa's center was located about 105 miles west of Jacksonville and the storm is shifting north near 14 mph.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 70 miles from the center.
A turn toward the north-northeast is expected Wednesday night in addition to faster northeastward motion by late Thursday.
Elsa is forecast to move over Georgia on Wednesday night, South Carolina early Thursday, North Carolina later Thursday and near or over the mid-Atlantic coast on Friday.
However, the NHC said in a Wednesday Facebook post that tropical storm conditions will continue for the Gulf Coast of Florida's warning area and in the Tropical Storm Warning area along the Georgia coast and along the South Carolina coast by late Wednesday.
"Tropical storm conditions are possible in the watch area in the mid-Atlantic and northeastern states by Thursday night and Friday," the agency said.
Flooding and rainfall are expected and tornadoes are also possible on Wednesday across northern Florida and southeastern Georgia into eastern South Carolina.
The NHC said that the tornado threat should shift to the eastern Carolinas and far southeast Virginia on Thursday.
The U.S. Coast Guard and a good Samaritan reportedly rescued 13 people after their boat capsized approximately 26 miles southeast of Key West as Tropical Storm Elsa approached.
Nine men and four women were taken aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Thetis on Tuesday afternoon, around 26 miles southeast of the island city.
The survivors told crew members they had departed with 22 people aboard the boat at around 8 p.m. ET on Monday night.
They told the Coast Guard that seven men and two women were missing.
The crew from the Western Carmen contacted watch standers at the Coast Guard’s Sector Key West around 1:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday to report they had found four people.
Tropical Storm Elsa threatened Cuba before making landfall on Wednesday.
Crews from the Coast Guard cutters Thetis and William Trump remained in the area to continue the search.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
{{#rendered}}The center of Tropical Storm Elsa made landfall in Florida's Taylor County on Wednesday morning.
At 11 a.m. ET, the storm moved north near 14 mph and a northward motion was expected to continue through the afternoon before a north-northeast turn by the evening and a faster northeastward motion by late Thursday.
Elsa has maximum sustained winds near 65 mph with higher gusts -- with tropical-storm-force winds extending outward up to 90 miles from the center, around 65 miles north-northwest of Cedar Key and about 115 miles west-southwest of Jacksonville -- though a weakening is still anticipated.
The storm will continue to move inland and then across the Southeast and mid-Atlantic through Thursday.
All warnings south of Aripeka, Fla. have been discontinued by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Hurricane Center (NHC).
In addition, the Storm Surge Watch for the Florida Gulf Coast has been discontinued and the hurricane warning along the state's west coast has been altered to a Tropical Storm Warning.
However, the Tropical Storm Watch has been extended north along the mid-Atlantic coast up to Sandy Hook, N.J., Chesapeake Bay, the tidal Potomac south of Cobb Island and Delaware Bay south of Slaughter Beach.
A Storm Surge Warning is effect from the west coast of Florida from Aripeka to the Aucilla River and a Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for the west coast of Florida from Aripeka to Ochlockonee River and Mouth of St. Mary's River, Ga to Little River Inlet, S.C.
Heavy rainfall, flooding are expected and tornado threats were also possible from Florida and into southeastern Georgia into eastern South Carolina.
"The tornado threat should shift to the eastern Carolinas and far southeast Virginia on Thursday," the NHC said in a Facebook post.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Wednesday that Tropical Storm Elsa was approaching Northern Florida's Gulf Coast.
The storm is forecast to make landfall in the region by late this morning or the early afternoon, with "little change in strength" before then.
"Weakening will begin after Elsa moves inland later today," the agency wrote in its 29th advisory.
Elsa had maximum sustained winds near 65 mph at 8 a.m. ET on Wednesday -- with higher gusts -- and tropical-storm-force winds were recorded extending outward up to 90 miles from the center.
The center was located just west of the Sunshine State's coastline: about 35 miles west of Cedar Key and about 115 miles northwest of Tampa.
Elsa is reportedly moving toward the north near 14 mph and a "general northward motion" was expected to continue through the afternoon with a turn toward the north-northeast.
A "faster northeastward motion" was anticipated by late Thursday and the NHC said Elsa should move across the southeastern and mid-Atlantic U.S. through then.
In a Facebook post, the agency warned that hurricane conditions could still occur for the western coast of Florida from Chassahowitzka to the Steinhatchee River this morning.
Tropical storm conditions are also forecast to continue for Florida's Gulf Coast, in the Tropical Storm Warning area along the Georgia coast by late today or tonight and along the South Carolina coast tonight and early Thursday.
Storm surge and the tide is expected to cause normally dry coastal areas to flood by rising waters with rainfall impact also potentially leading to isolated flash and urban flooding.
A few tornadoes remain possible across west-central to north Florida through the afternoon.
The threat will continue through Wednesday night across southeastern Georgia and eastern South Carolina before it shifts to the eastern Carolinas and far southeast Virginia on Thursday.
Heavy rain fell across Florida's Gulf Coast early Wednesday from a weakened Tropical Storm Elsa.
The storm appears to have spared the state from significant damage and power outages, though briefly reaching hurricane strength earlier in the day.
Elsa was expected to move onshore as a tropical storm and tornado warnings were issued for several northern Florida counties.
More downpours, winds gusts and flooding are expected once the storm turns northeast, though tropical storm warnings were canceled for Cape Coral and Fort Myers.
In the Tampa, forecasters warned of tropical storm conditions including flash flooding and strong winds and Duke Energy and TECO Energy said that less than 5,000 customers were without power at 7 a.m. ET.
Elsa’s maximum sustained winds stood at 65 mph, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Hurricane Center (NHC).
The storm was expected to pass over Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia -- where tropical storm watches and warnings were in effect -- before moving out in the Atlantic Ocean by Friday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
{{#rendered}}
Tropical Storm Elsa is currently about 50 miles south-southwest of Cedar Key, Florida, according to a 5 a.m. update from the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
The storm was moving north at 14 mph with maximum sustained winds at 65 mph -- down from 70 mph earlier this morning.
Heavy rains and gusty winds continue to spread inland across Florida's western peninsula, the NHC said.
A hurricane warning remains in effect from Chassahowitzka to the Steinhatchee River along Florida's west coast.
Eight additional victims were recovered Tuesday at the Champlain Towers South collapse site -- as Tropical Storm Elsa approaches Florida.
The demolition of the remaining portion of the partially collapsed condo building over the holiday weekend allowed rescuers to reach new parts of the structure.
As of early Wednesday, the death toll stands at 36 with more than 100 people still unaccounted for.Elsa's heaviest winds and rain should bypass Surfside, Florida.
Elsa has weakened to a tropical storm, according to a 2 a.m. update from the National Hurricane Center (NHC).As of 2 a.m., the storm was located about 60 miles west of Tampa, Florida.It was moving north at 14 mph with maximum sustained winds at 70 mph.
A hurricane warning is still in effect for Egmont Key to the Steinhatchee River, Florida."
Maximum sustained winds are now near 70 mph with higher gusts. Some fluctuations in the intensity are possible until landfall occurs," according to the NHC. "Weakening will begin after Elsa moves inland by late Wednesday morning."
{{#rendered}}As of 11 p.m., the center of Hurricane Elsa was located about 65 miles southwest of Tampa Bay, Florida.The storm was moving north at 14 mph with maximum sustained winds at 75 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).It is expected to make landfall between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. Wednesday between the Tampa Bay area and the Big Bend region
Coverage for this event has ended.