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FAIRHOPE, UNITED STATES – Sally, who hit the United States this morning as a Category 2 hurricane – on a scale of up to five – lost strength and became a tropical storm Wednesday afternoon. Still, it caused flooding, felling of trees and left half a million people in the states of Alabama and Florida.
According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Sally touched Alabama at 4:45 a.m. (6:45 a.m. Brasilia time), with winds of up to 165 km / h, threatening the coasts not only of the state, but also Mississippi and Florida. The coastal city of Pensacola, Florida, with 50,000 residents, has suffered flooding of up to 1.5 meters. Even losing strength, its winds reached 110 km / h.
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Videos from local residents and the media also showed houses damaged by the storm. Some areas of the Gulf Coast, including but not limited to the states of Alabama, Mississippi and Florida, have been flooded in the last 24 hours. The same is expected to occur elsewhere during the day.
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey declared a state of emergency Monday over the hurricane.
“Hurricane Sally should not be overlooked,” Ivey said. – We will see record floods that can exceed historical levels. And with more water, we will have more risks of loss of life and property.
President Donald Trump compared Sally to Hurricane Laura, which hit Texas and Louisiana, as well as the Caribbean previously, just a few weeks ago.
– This one is smaller, but a little more direct. But we have everything under control – said the president to Fox.
“We are in direct contact with state and local leaders to help Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi,” he added on Twitter.
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves also declared a state of emergency.
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, whose state has yet to recover from the impact of Hurricane Laura, urged residents to be prepared. “Be smart and stay safe,” he posted on Twitter.
Southern state officials have asked low-lying residents to seek refuge, but with Sally’s slowness, some people took a chance and witnessed the power of nature.
Thomas Harms braved the wind and rain Tuesday to watch the waves crash at Alabama’s Fairhope Pier and recalled past storms. As a child, he went with his grandfather to watch the storms come, and he did the same on Tuesday with his son.
“It takes away some of the fear and it also helps you understand the dangers,” Harms said.
Sally’s damage is expected to range from $ 2 billion to $ 3 billion, predicted Chuck Watson of Enki Research, which monitors tropical storms and assesses the cost of their damage. That estimate could be increased if the heaviest rains occur on land, Watson said.
Ports, schools, and businesses along the coast have been closed. As the storm’s path moved east, ports along the Mississippi River reopened, with the exception of the routes to Florida.
