“I’m sure it could have been worse. But what I saw this morning at Flyover, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach and Fort Morgan is really, really bad.”
Sally landed as a Category 2 hurricane near Gulf Shores in Alabama on Wednesday and left a streak of devastation across the state. The storm flooded the neighborhood, submerged homes and left thousands of residents without electricity.
The hurricane killed two people, according to Baldwin County Coroner Dr. Brian Pierce. One of the deaths was apparently a drowning that took place at Orange Beach and was discovered Wednesday morning. The second storm was a death toll from the cleanup in the Foley area, Pierce said. Families have been notified.
Alabama Power said Friday morning that power restorations were completed in central and southeastern Alabama, but now “all efforts are focused on the mobile sector.”
“The fact that they are tied to the power line, just being able to open the roads is a real challenge,” he said.
On Thursday, officials urged residents there until local authorities considered it safe to leave and evacuation teams could reach them. Ivy says the state government is ready to help residents in recovery efforts.
Byrne said he has spoken to the White House and says President Donald Trump is “extremely concerned about the situation” and wants to go to Alabama. Byrne added that he has not decided when that will happen.
Ivy says he knows many people are hurting in the state because of the hurricane, adding that he wants them to know, “We’re hurting with you.”
Floods in Florida can last up to a week
Meanwhile, the governor of Florida. Ron Desantis says flooding in Florida could last up to a week following the hurricane.
“Hurricanes are past Florida, but we will continue to see their effects in different parts of Northwest Florida, due to the amount of water that spreads throughout the southeast,” Disantis said.
The Florida Division of Florida Emergency Management has deployed pumps and generators to assist in flood and power restoration.
DeSantis added, “So, as it passes through our northern states, just remember that flooding in the river is ongoing and will continue in the coming weeks in different parts of Florida.”
He urged people to stay indoors and off the roads so that the power crew could continue the restoration work, and reminded them not to drive through the standing water, as there could be a power outage.
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