Hurricane Sally Could Bring Historic Flooding, 80 MPH Winds And Tornadoes
Hurricane Sally is expected to hit the Alabama coast Wednesday morning.
Forecasters say the storm will likely bring historic flooding with up to 30 inches of rain. John De Block with the National Weather Service in Birmingham said residents in Mobile and Baldwin counties should prepare for 80 mph winds, a chance of isolated tornadoes and heavy storm surge on the coast and up through Mobile Bay.
Hurricane Sally was downgraded this morning from a Category 2 storm to a Category 1. As of 10 a.m., the storm was still about 110 miles south of Mobile traveling about three miles per hour, according to De Block.
He said Hurricane Sally has been a “forecasting challenge” with storm models changing rapidly. De Block said it’s still possible the storm could continue to shift eastward, which would decrease the storm surge in Mobile Bay.
“However, there are plenty of opportunities for the forecast to change,” De Block said. “Record flooding is very well possible in the Mobile and Baldwin county areas. Ten to 15 inches of rainfall, locally higher amounts, combined with the storm surge will make drainage a challenge.”
De Block said low-lying areas are more likely to flood because drainage systems are likely to be overwhelmed.
As for the rest of the state, De Block said areas around Montgomery can expect to see eight to ten inches of rainfall Wednesday night, about four to eight inches of rainfall near Clanton on Thursday and two to four inches of rain in Birmingham on Friday before Hurricane Sally heads east towards Georgia.
“Sally is shaping up to be a very dangerous and historic flooding. If you are in a low-lying area or a flood-prone area, get to a safer place and higher ground now,” Brian Hastings of the Alabama Emergency Management Agency said.
Hastings said the Alabama National Guard high water teams have been activated. Two shelters in Mobile and Baldwin counties will be open with another on standby.
Gov. Kay Ivey is urging anyone south of Interstate 10 to evacuate immediately under the supplemental state of emergency she issued yesterday. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump approved a disaster declaration for parts of Alabama this morning, which will provide 75% federal emergency aid, if needed.
Watch A Live Stream Here
Vance refuses to set red lines over bigotry at Turning Point USA’s convention
Vice President JD Vance acknowledged the controversies that dominated the Turning Point conference, but he did not define any boundaries for the conservative movement besides patriotism.
CBS News chief Bari Weiss pulls ’60 Minutes’ story, sparking outcry
CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss pulled a 60 Minutes segment on allegations of abuses at an El Salvador detention center where the Trump administration sent hundreds of Venezuelan migrants.
Lawmakers threaten Attorney General Bondi with contempt over incomplete Epstein files
The Justice Department is defending its initial release of documents related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, saying lawyers are still going through them to ensure victims are protected.
How a power outage in Colorado caused U.S. official time be 4.8 microseconds off
Officials said the error is likely be too minute for the general public to clock it, but it could affect applications such as critical infrastructure, telecommunications and GPS signals.
Scientists say they have discovered 20 new species deep in the Pacific Ocean
Researchers retrieved reef monitoring devices that had been placed in deep coral reefs in Guam. The devices were placed up to 330 feet below the surface.
Shopping for pricy ACA health plans? Some cheaper options come with trade-offs
Without a fix from Congress, costs for many people who buy health care on the Affordable Care Act marketplace have gone up. Here's what's to know about cheaper choices — and pitfalls to be aware of.
