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Sally's aftermath: Latest on flooding, power outages and how to get help


Now that the storm has been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone, residents and officials have initiated an extensive cleanup in the aftermath of what once was Hurricane Sally. We hope you stayed safe throughout the duration of the storm. Now that Sally has passed through, this will be our final Storm Watch newsletter.

On behalf of our journalists in Florida and Alabama and beyond, I want to thank you for following our coverage. This newsletter was intended to keep you up to speed on timely news about weather coverage and aid in your area — I hope we did just that.

You're receiving this emergency information newsletter because you subscribe to the Daily Briefing newsletter from one of our Paste BN Network sites in Florida or Alabama.

The latest updates

Where is Sally now? According to the National Hurricane Center, the storm has weakened to  a post tropical cyclone and as of Thursday afternoon, it was southwest of Athens, Georgia. Follow the storm's path using this live tracker.

Power outages: As of 8:30 a.m. Thursday, more than 500,000 residents and businesses remained without power across the deep south. See the map of reported outages in Florida and Alabama here.

Road closures: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned that roads could be closed for days, including portions of I-10. 

Evacuation: Santa Rosa urges residents on rivers, creeks to evacuate immediately as floodwaters rise.

A look at the aftermath

Here's what we know: Hurricane Sally made landfall early Wednesday as a Category 2 hurricane in Gulf Shores, Alabama, about 30 miles west of Pensacola. The slow-moving storm-damaged trees, telephone poles and tore the roofs off some homes. It left areas of Florida and Alabama with 2+ feet of rain. Mayor Tony Kennon of Orange Beach, a coastal town in Alabama, says one person has died, and one person is missing due to Hurricane Sally. 

See photos of damage and destruction:

Watch videos: 

Recovery efforts & how to help

Recovery teams on the ground: Escambia County first responders are responding to multiple calls for rescue from floodwaters in the southwest part of the county.

How to help: The Red Cross needs volunteers. Please visit redcross.org. You can also contact local agencies, organizations, or authorities.

We'll continue updating our sites with the latest news on rebuilding and recovery efforts from Hurricane Sally. Until next time, be safe and be well.

— Cheryl S. Grant, Editor, Audience Development

P.S. We provided this content for free as a public service to readers, and we appreciate you trusting our journalists to keep you safe and informed. If you valued the news and information in the Storm Watch newsletter, please consider becoming a digital subscriber. Subscriptions help power our local journalism.