Destruction mounts as Hurricane Sally whips coast with torrential rain, 100 mph winds
Scenes of destruction spawned by Hurricane Sally’s slow move inland have begun to show up on social media, including destroyed homes, coastal flooding and piles of debris in streets.
Sally made landfall in Gulf Shores, Alabama, just before 6 a.m. ET Wednesday as a Category 2 storm, bringing with it powerful winds and rain. About 500,000 people lost power, according to USA Today.
As of 7 a.m. Wednesday, the eye was expected move across “the extreme western Florida panhandle and southeastern Alabama through early Thursday,” according to the National Hurricane Center. It will then cross central Georgia, forecasters say.
Isolated areas of 35 inches of rain are forecast in the storm’s path, along with tornadoes and widespread flooding.
Maximum sustained winds of 100 mph were reported Wednesday morning along the coast, extending 40 miles out from the center of the storm, officials said.
Gusts of 74 mph and 92 mph were recorded early Wednesday at the Pensacola Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida, the center reports.
Check out these videos and photos showing the havoc and damage caused by Hurricane Sally.
This story was originally published September 16, 2020 at 9:56 AM with the headline "Destruction mounts as Hurricane Sally whips coast with torrential rain, 100 mph winds."