Hurricane Delta: No Flooding Expected For Alabama

BIRMINGHAM, AL — Although state officials are still keeping a close eye on Hurricane Delta, the storm's recent movement has indicated that its effects on Alabama may not be as severe as once feared.

Delta significantly weakened over the past 12 hours due to shear over the system, according to meteorologist James Spann Wednesday. "It made landfall along the northeastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula near Puerto Morelos around 5:30 a.m. with estimated maximum winds of 110 mph, a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale," Spann said. "It is moving to the northwest at 17 mph."

The National Weather Service in Birmingham said the bulk of the effects from Delta in the Birmingham area will be seen Saturday.

"Saturday will be a wet, breezy day for the state, but the core of the really heavy rain associated with Hurricane Delta will likely be a little to the west, over Mississippi," Spann said. "The expected rain totals for Alabama have been lowered a bit; totals of 1-2 inches are expected along and north of I-59 (Tuscaloosa to Birmingham to Gadsden), and also over the southwest corner of the state (Mobile and Baldwin counties). Elsewhere, rain amounts should be generally less than 1 inch. We expect no flooding in Alabama."

The core risk of wind and storm surge damage will be west of Alabama. Winds over Mobile and Baldwin counties will be in the 20-40 mph range Friday afternoon and Friday night; wind speeds of 15-30 mph are likely along the northwest Florida coast.

Rain amounts of 1-2 inches are expected from Dauphin Island to Panama City Beach. A few brief waterspouts or tornadoes are possible Friday afternoon and Friday night along the coast.

Gov. Kay Ivey issued a state of emergency Tuesday ahead of Delta's arrival to the coast.

"As our coastal areas are still recovering from Hurricane Sally, another system, Hurricane Delta, is making its way toward the Gulf Coast and could potentially have a significant impact on Alabama," Ivey said in her statement Tuesday. "Therefore, I signed a State of Emergency to begin Alabama's preparation process and position us to be able to declare a pre-landfall disaster declaration with FEMA. As residents along the Gulf Coast know all too well, these storms are unpredictable, and I strongly encourage everyone to take Hurricane Delta seriously. We are keeping a close eye on this approaching storm and we will continue providing all necessary updates."