Strong winds cause destruction as Hurricane Sally moves across Gulf states
Residents warned to stay inside; Charles Watson reports from Mobile, Alabama.
Hurricane Sally has sparked flooding in Pensacola, Fla., inundating the city’s downtown area.
NOAA’s tide station in Pensacola is experiencing a moderate flood level that is about 5.5 feet above normal high tide, according to officials, who said that water levels along the Florida panhandle are rising.
“Water levels at NOAA tide stations along the Florida panhandle are continuing to rise following landfall of Hurricane #Sally,” tweeted NOAA’s Ocean Service on Wednesday. “The Pensacola, FL station is experiencing moderate flood levels, over 5.5 feet above normal high tide.”
HURRICANE SALLY BRINGS 'CATASTROPHIC' FLOODING, 'SEVERE WIDESPREAD DAMAGE' AFTER ALABAMA LANDFALL
Footage shared on social media showed the floodwaters in downtown Pensacola.
Flood waters move on the street, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020, in downtown Pensacola, Fla. Hurricane Sally made landfall Wednesday near Gulf Shores, Alabama, as a Category 2 storm, pushing a surge of ocean water onto the coast and dumping torrential rain that forecasters said would cause dangerous flooding from the Florida Panhandle to Mississippi and well inland in the days ahead. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
“Downtown Pensacola is UNDERWATER,” tweeted Weather Channel Meteorologist Chris Bruin on Wednesday morning.
ABC News Meteorologist Rob Marciano also tweeted video of the Pensacola flooding.
Hurricane Sally made landfall near the Florida-Alabama line Wednesday with 105 mph winds and rain measured in feet, not inches.
“Catastrophic and Life-Threatening Flooding Occurring Over Portions of the Florida Panhandle and Southern Alabama,” tweeted the National Hurricane Center.
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Moving at an agonizing 3 mph, or about as fast as a person can walk, the storm made landfall at 4:45 a.m. near Gulf Shores, Ala., after battering for hours a stretch of coastline that included Mobile and Pensacola.
Fox News’ Travis Fedschun and the Associated Press contributed to this article.
Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers
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