Sally’s path shifts east

The Florida Panhandle and south Alabama saw sideways rain, storm surges, strong winds, and power outages early Wednesday as Hurricane Sally made landfall. With winds of 105 mph, Sally had strengthened to a Category 2 storm and could cause serious flooding as it moves north-northeast at a slow 2 mph.

What will be the extent of Sally’s destruction? So far some 150,000 homes and businesses have lost electricity and the surges swamped low-lying properties in southeast Louisiana. The storm’s slow progress could bring a record-setting 30 inches of rain in some spots, with heavy downpours expected in parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and the Carolinas later this week.

Dig deeper: Find updates on Hurricane Sally and other storms at the National Hurricane Center.

Editor’s note: WORLD has updated this report since its initial posting.