The National Hurricane Center is warning around ten million Americans that live near the Gulf Coast to expect flooding because of Hurricane Sally as it continues to cause destruction just south of Alabama. The storm is very unpredictable, proving that by changing her speed and intensity many, many times over the past 24 hours. Scientists are trying their best to predict the storm by believing that several feet of rain could drop from Louisiana to Florida when it will come near to Mobile Bay, Alabama. Sally’s winds may seem very extreme with the winds going upwards to 100 mph, but the scariest thing about the hurricane would be its flooding power. 

“We do anticipate a lot of flooding. Heed the warnings, we tell our people. Just prepare. You’ve been through this before. You’ve been through worse. … Don’t let your guard down,” Cecilia Dobbs Walton, a Biloxi spokeswoman, said. 

Many hurricane warnings are in effect for Sally in Biloxi, Mississippi; Mobile, Alabama; and Pensacola, Florida. Even with the heavy wind, the storm seems to be moving very slowly, so the heavy storm can last for hours which can impact a lot of homes due to severe flooding. Many weather forecasters are warning people that there are going to be a lot of surprises in store involving Hurricane Sally. While Sally moves across the Southeast states, scientists predict that the winds will be weaker, but the heavy rain will still be a major problem for those states. 

It is predicted by weather forecasters that six to 12 inches of rain will precipitate for Montgomery, Alabama, and Atlanta through Friday morning. The weather forecasters predict that the Carolinas will see rainfall because of Hurricane Sally. Sally also became a Category 2 hurricane and because of its heavy rain, it will severely flood areas from southeast Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle. 

“Sally is shaping up to be a very dangerous and historic flooding event. If you are in a low-lying area or a flood-prone area, get to a safer place,” said Brian Hastings, director of the Alabama Emergency Management Agency. 

Some known statistics about Hurricane Sally would be that Hurricane Sally is the seventh known hurricane that occurred in 2020 and it is the fourth hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico in 2020. Hurricane Sally may be one of the three currently active hurricanes in the Atlantic and the last time three active hurricanes were on the Atlantic was one time in 2018.

Photo courtesy of USNEWS.COM