Tropical Storm Elsa swept inland Wednesday after making landfall along the Florida Gulf Coast, bringing high winds, heavy rain and storm surges.

Elsa formed as the first hurricane in the Atlantic this season on July 2, but was downgraded from a hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center. The agency warned the storm could spawn tornadoes as it came ashore in Florida’s Taylor County, about 165 miles northwest of Tampa.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared states of emergency in numerous counties in anticipation of the storm. President Biden also approved a federal emergency declaration.

The storm had caused severe damage on several islands in the Caribbean, killing at least three people, according to the Associated Press. The storm then headed to Cuba, before moving across the Florida Keys and up the West side of the Florida peninsula.

Officials had worried the storm might come ashore near Tampa, and the city’s airport shut down service as the storm passed through. But by Wednesday the eye of the storm had passed Tampa, headed for less populous areas.

By Wednesday afternoon, the storm had weakened considerably as it passed over land in southeast Georgia. The National Hurricane Center said the storm would move through the Carolinas on Thursday, then head to the mid-Atlantic coast on Friday. The center issued a tropical storm watch for the U.S. East Coast from South Carolina to New England.

Earlier

Tropical Storm Elsa hit Florida’s northern Gulf Coast with heavy winds and rain, after it destroyed homes in the Caribbean. Lightning halted rescue and recovery efforts at the Champlain Towers South collapse site for periods. Photo: Rob O'Neal/Associated Press The Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition

Write to Cameron McWhirter at cameron.mcwhirter@wsj.com