Tropical Storm Sally slowed its pace on Sunday as it moved north toward the US Gulf Coast, increasing the risk of "extremely dangerous and life-threatening" heavy rain and storm surge before
its expected arrival in southern Louisiana on Tuesday. as a category two hurricane
, forecasters predicted late this afternoon.
Hurricane conditions are expected from the end of Monday in the area from Morgan City, Louisiana, to Ocean Springs, Mississippi, including the New Orleans metropolitan area, while tropical storm conditions will be noted from the beginning of Monday, predicted the National Hurricane Center of the United States (NHC, for its acronym in English).
Forecasters also warned that Sally could
continue to cause flash floods in central and northern Florida.
In southeastern Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, these flood probabilities will prevail through midweek.
[How and when to prepare for a hurricane or tropical storm]
"I know for a lot of people this storm seemed to come out of nowhere," said Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards.
And he warned: “We need everyone to pay attention to this storm.
Let's take this seriously. "
Tropical Storm Sally forms in Florida and threatens the Gulf of Mexico
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Edwards urged immediate preparation.
He also said that there are still many Southwest Louisiana residents who were evacuated to New Orleans by Hurricane
Laura, which killed at least six people in the state in late August.
New Orleans is exactly the area that could be hit by Sally, a slow-moving phenomenon.
"Based on all the information available, we have every reason to believe that this storm poses a significant threat," he said, adding that the coronavirus health crisis adds a layer of complexity to preparations for the phenomenon.
[The hurricane season was expected to be intense: it will be even worse]
The system was moving west-northwest at
9 mph (15 kph)
Sunday afternoon.
It was
centered 165 miles (265 kilometers) south of Panama City, Florida, and 215 miles (345 kilometers) east-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River.
On Sunday, Florida's Gulf Coast was battered by wet and windy weather.
Pensacola, in the Florida Panhandle region, expected to receive 10 to 15 inches (25 to 38 centimeters) of rain.
Sally could see
total rainfall of up to 20 inches
(51 centimeters) by midweek, forecasters said.
The maximum sustained winds for the phenomenon this Sunday afternoon were 95 kph (60 mph).
"This system is forecast to bring not only damaging winds but also dangerous storm surge," Daniel Brown of the Hurricane Center told
The Associated Press
.
"Because it is slowing down, it could produce a lot of rain in the coming days."
Other phenomena that are a potential threat
But Sally is not the only storm in the Atlantic basin.
Paulette
gained hurricane status Saturday night and is expected to bring storm surge, coastal flooding and high winds to Bermuda, according to an NHC advisory.
[Dos and don'ts during and after a hurricane]
Rene
, which had reached the category of a tropical storm, reverted to a tropical depression on Saturday night.
It is expected that
Tropical Depression Twenty
strengthen this week and became a tropical storm on Tuesday, forecasters said.
"This week is essentially the peak of the hurricane season," Brown said.
"These days there is a lot of activity in the tropics."
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Sept.
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A mandatory evacuation was already issued in Grand Isle, Louisiana, before the storm.
On Saturday, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell
issued a mandatory evacuation order
for Orleans Parish residents living outside of the levee protection system.
The state governor had a press conference on the storm scheduled for Sunday.
He had already declared a state of emergency on Saturday.
All the states located in the northern Gulf Coast are urging their residents to prepare.
“This storm system is likely to affect the Alabama Gulf Coast.
While it is not currently anticipated to be a direct impact on our coastal areas,
we know well that we should not take the threat lightly,
"said Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, who also urged residents to prepare and stay informed.
With information from AP and the NHC