Hurricane Sally Swamps Gulf Coast With Massive Floods, Torrential Rain

Hurricane Sally uprooted trees, flooded streets and cut power to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses on Wednesday as the powerful storm brought “historic and catastrophic” flooding to the Alabama-Florida coast, the National Hurricane Center said.

Some parts of the Gulf Coast have already been inundated with more than 18 inches (46 cm) of rain in the last 24 hours, with more precipitation expected even as the storm’s winds slow, the National Hurricane Center said.

The winds howled fast enough to topple a tractor-trailer onto its side as it was driven down an Alabama highway, according to video published by CBS News.

The coastal resort community of Pensacola, Florida, suffered up to five feet of flooding and travel was cut by damaged roads and bridges.

More than 500,000 homes and businesses across the area were without power as the storm knocked over stately oak trees and tore power lines from poles.