Hurricane Sally Weakens after Making Landfall in Alabama – US Hurricane center

Washington  – Hurricane Sally has weakened into a category 1 storm, Wednesday morning, after making slow landfall in the southern U.S. state of Alabama, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported.

Hurricane Sally carried maximum sustained winds of 140 km/h, located some 30 km west of Pensacola, Florida, the NHC said in an update issued at 9:00 a.m. CT (1400 GMT).

Hurricanes with sustained winds of 74 to 95 mph are Category 1 hurricanes, according to the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale.

“Center of Sally moving slowly near the Alabama/Florida border … Catastrophic and life-threatening flooding ongoing along portions of the north-central Gulf coast,” the NHC added.

On-site photos posted online showed that buildings were damaged in Mobile, Alabama, while streets were flooded in Pensacola, Florida.

Hurricane Sally made a landfall around 4:45 a.m. CT (0945 GMT) in Alabama, with winds of 168 km, making it a strong Category 2 on the Saffir-Simpson scale.

US President Donald Trump has declared a state of emergency in the state of Florida due to approaching Hurricane Sally, White House Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere said on Wednesday.