Tornadoes Reported in Southern States as Tropical Storm Elsa Heads Northeast

(CNN) – Tropical Storm Elsa hit parts of the southeastern United States with tornadoes, according to reports, as it continued its way toward New York.

A possible tornado made landfall in the Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base in Kings Bay, Georgia on Wednesday night, resulting in reports of multiple injuries and damage. Many of the injured were taken to local medical facilities for treatment, according to the base.

Other tornadoes were reported in northern Florida and southwest Georgia on Wednesday, and there is a risk of more occurring overnight, as Elsa remains stable with maximum sustained winds of 72 km / h, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

A tornado watch for southeastern Georgia and southern South Carolina expires at 5 am ET. The coastal areas of the two states are forecast to receive another 7 to 12 centimeters of rain with isolated amounts of up to 20 centimeters possible, meaning there is a threat of considerable flash flooding and urban flooding, the NHC said.

Elsa is expected to maintain the strength of the tropical storm as it moves towards the Mid-Atlantic states before returning to the open sea on Friday morning.

A tropical storm warning is in effect from Little River Inlet, on the Carolinas border, to Great Egg Inlet, New Jersey.

Heavy rains with localized amounts of up to five inches are forecast from the Mid-Atlantic to New England when Elsa finally leaves the region on Friday night.

That trail triggered tropical storm warnings on Long Island, New York, and from New Haven, Connecticut, to Sagamore Beach, Massachusetts. Tropical storm watches or warnings now cover much of the east coast, stretching from Georgia to Massachusetts, CNN meteorologist Taylor Ward said.

At least one storm-related death in Florida

Elsa’s first target in the United States was Florida, and she unleashed chaos near the Georgia-Florida border.

Elsa’s winds caused a tree to fall over two cars during an afternoon drive in Jacksonville, Florida, killing one person, according to Captain Eric Prosswimmer of the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department. A possible tornado made landfall in the city Wednesday night, according to Mayor Lenny Curry.

Elsa made landfall late Wednesday morning along the Gulf Coast in Taylor County, Florida, the NHC said.

Roads were flooded Wednesday in the Taylor County town of Steinhatchee, it reported. WCTV, CNN affiliate.

A few miles away on Cedar Key, part of the surface of a roof had risen from a motel, photos taken by motel guest Jonathan Riches showed.

“The winds start howling in the middle of the night and the rain starts hitting the windows,” Riches told CNN, adding of the conditions: “I’ve never seen anything like this in my life.”

CNN’s Rebekah Riess, Taylor Ward, Jason Hanna and Amir Vera contributed to this report.