Sally Weakens, Downgraded To Tropical Storm

MOBILE, AL — Sally, which made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane near Gulf Shores Wednesday around 4:45 a.m., has been downgraded to a tropical storm. Flooding along the Gulf coast is still expected to be severe, as communities along the coast of Florida, Alabama and Mississippi were hit hard by the storm Wednesday morning.

Maximum sustained winds have decreased to 70 mph with higher gusts. Additional weakening is expected as the center moves farther inland Wednesday afternoon and evening, and Sally is
forecast to become a tropical depression by Thursday morning.

Sally’s northern eyewall had raked the Gulf Coast with hurricane-force winds and rain from Pensacola Beach, Florida, westward to Dauphin Island, Alabama, for hours before its center finally hit land.

Forecasters warned that heavy rainfall would continue into Thursday as the storm moved inland over Alabama and into central Georgia, likely causing serious flash flooding and minor to moderate river flooding far from the coast.

In Mobile, photos showed downed trees and power lines. More than 280,000 people were without power in Alabama, according to poweroutage.us.

The hurricane warning from the Mississippi/Alabama border to the Okaloosa/Walton County line in Florida has been changed to a tropical storm warning. The storm surge warning from Dauphin Island, Alabama, to the Alabama/Florida border has been discontinued, according to the National Weather Service.

The service also said the storm surge warning is still in effect for the Alabama/Florida border to the Walton/Bay County Line in Florida.

Central Alabama and Georgia are forecast to receive up to 12 inches of rain, with significant flash flooding possible. Parts of North Carolina and South Carolina could receive 4 to 9 inches of rain by the end of the week.

Reporting and writing from The Associated Press was used in this report.