Hurricane Sally Expected To Make Landfall Wednesday

MOBILE, AL — Hurricane Sally, currently a Category 1 hurricane, is expected to make landfall on the Alabama Gulf Coast by Wednesday morning. The National Hurricane Center said Sally will creep inland early Wednesday, and the system will weaken and turn northeast, moving through central Alabama and into Georgia.

Sally is moving slowly, which has added to the uncertainty surrounding the storm's path. A slow-moving hurricane usually involves severe storm surges that could last up to a week. As of the hurricane center's latest update, the storm is packing wind speeds of 85 miles per hour.

A storm surge warning is in effect for the mouth of the Mississippi River to the Okaloosa/Walton County Line and Mobile Bay.

A hurricane warning is in effect for east of Bay St. Louis to Navarre, Florida, and A tropical storm warning is in effect for east of Navarre too Indian Pass, Florida, and Bay St. Louis westward in Louisiana.

A flash flood warning is in effect for central and north Alabama through Thursday.

Forecasters predict that the storm's strength is not expected to change until it makes landfall but are warning that it will be a dangerous hurricane when it moves onshore.

Alabama governor Kay Ivey said in a news conference Tuesday morning that Sally carries a storm surge between 6 and 9 feet, "potentially historic flooding rainfall" and will bring damaging winds through midweek.

Sally will also pose a threat of flooding further inland across parts of the Southeast, according to the hurricane center. As of Tuesday morning, Sally was centered 110 miles south of Mobile.

From southeast Louisiana to Mississippi, Alabama and the western Florida Panhandle, flooding and heavy rain have already hit, and coastal communities have been evacuated. This is occurring because of Sally's storm surge in combination with the Tuesday morning high tide.

In addition to hurricane winds and rain, tornadoes are also a possibility for coastal Alabama and the western and central Florida Panhandle.

The storm surge forecasts according to the NHC:

• 4 to 7 feet from the Mississippi/Alabama border to the Alabama/Florida border, including Mobile Bay.
• 4 to 6 feet from the mouth of the Mississippi River in Louisiana to the mouth of the Pearl River in Mississippi.
• 3 to 5 feet from the mouth of the Pearl River in Mississippi to the Mississippi/Alabama border, and from the Alabama/Florida border to the Okaloosa/Walton County line in Florida, including Pensacola Bay and Choctawhatchee Bay

Rainfall predicted by the NHC:

• 10 to 20 inches with locally up to 30 inches on the Gulf Coast from the western Florida Panhandle to southern Alabama and far southeastern Mississippi through Wednesday. Serious flash flooding and moderate to major river flooding could occur in these areas.
• 4 to 8 inches, with locally up to 12 inches, is possible farther inland across southeastern Mississippi, southern and central Alabama, northern Georgia and the western Carolinas. Significant flash and urban flooding is likely, as well as widespread minor to moderate flooding on some rivers in these areas.

Flood watches have been issued by the National Weather Service in portions of the Florida Panhandle, southern and central Alabama and southern Mississippi.