Gov. Kay Ivey visited parts of Alabama’s coast Friday to survey damage from Hurricane Sally, which struck the coast on Wednesday as a Category 2 storm.
“What I’ve seen this morning in the fly over – it’s really, really bad,” Ivey said. “I think that I only saw two piers that were still standing. The rest are just sticks in the water.”
Ivey visited Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Fort Morgan and Dauphin Island. She also met with local and state leaders.
Ivey says the priority right now is to get water, ice and food to affected areas. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is ready to deploy resources, but it’s up to local governments to decide which areas need it most, Ivey said.
As of Friday afternoon, more than 145,000 people on Alabama’s coast remain without power. Ivey said power crews are working to restore electricity, but residents have been told it could take weeks before they get power. Ivey said the number of downed trees has made it difficult for repair teams to access certain areas.
Sen. Doug Jones and U.S. Representative Bradley Byrne were among elected officials that also surveyed the aftermath of Sally on Friday.
“For Baldwin County, this storm was worse than Hurricane Ivan. Perhaps, as bad or worse than Hurricane Fredric,” Byrne said.
It’s time for the federal government to step in and help rebuild, Byrne said.