By DELILAH GUTIERREZ
Staff Writer
On Wednesday, September 16,Hurricane Sally hit Florida and Alabama causing damage to buildings, lives, and the landscape. The hurricane reached Alabama around 4:40 in the morning with wind speeds of 105 mph. The storm moved north and died down to a tropical storm with wind speeds of about 35 mph.
More than half a million people are without power due to the hurricane, around 290,000 in Alabama and 253, 000 in Florida. In Pensacola, part of the Bay Bridge has been damaged due to boats being ripped from moorings and there is flooding to a depth of 5ft. Rainfall is measured in feet instead of inches in some areas, but 18 inches has been recorded for those able to measure in mere inches. Roads have been submerged, trees have uprooted, and pylons have been brought down.
Hurricane Sally has been classified as a category 2 hurricane. This is the fourth hurricane this year to make landfall and it came 16 years to the day after Hurricane Ivan, a category 3, struck roughly the same areas. As of Thursday afternoon, the storm has given large amounts of rain in parts of Carolina and Georgia. Georgia and Carolina have placed flash-flood warnings and flood watches in effect for many areas.
Due to the damage caused by the hurricane, many people are in great need. Help in any way you can. Everything counts.