Photos and video from Alabama, Florida and Mississippi ahead of Sally’s landfall

By Justin Mitchell

Updated September 16, 2020 3:56 AM

Slow-moving Hurricane Sally was upgraded to a Category 2 hurricane at midnight Tuesday by the National Hurricane Center, and the track shifted east for a projected landfall near Gulf Shores.

Sally has been meandering in the Gulf of Mexico for days, causing rain, high winds and storm surge across the Gulf Coast region.

Weather Channel star Jim Cantore will be in Pensacola on Wednesday to report from the “dirty side” of Sally.

The storm is expected to bring heavy rainfall and flash flooding to Columbus, Georgia, once it moves inland.

Here are scenes from across the Gulf Coast region Tuesday.

Gulf Shores, Alabama

Curfew in Gulf Shores, Ala. at 8p as core of #Sally begins battering area. An update from @MatthewCappucci with darkness settling in. pic.twitter.com/qegPL5uev2
— Capital Weather Gang (@capitalweather) September 16, 2020

Something we've been saying all day on air: "#Sally is a marathon, not a sprint." A slow-moving storm like this means we'll be feeling impacts for quite some time.@Paul_Goodloe shows what effects this hurricane is already bringing in Gulf Shores, Alabama. pic.twitter.com/4cymFOnUjP
— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) September 15, 2020

2 pm update from the oceanfront in Gulf Shores #Alabama as #Hurricane #SALLY approaches. pic.twitter.com/wQ3GId4vuS
— Josh Morgerman (@iCyclone) September 15, 2020

Mobile, Alabama area

Closing the doors at Bankhead Tunnel pic.twitter.com/QppcgcV30J
— ALDOT Mobile Area (@ALDOTMobileArea) September 15, 2020

*Knock Knock* Whose there?

Not Sally.

Because she’s not getting in#HurricaneSally pic.twitter.com/ttvV2hQ4Yq
— ALDOT Mobile Area (@ALDOTMobileArea) September 15, 2020

LIVE CAM: Here's view of Interstate 10 in Mobile, Alabama, ahead of 'huge rainmaker' Hurricane #Sally, expected to make landfall in a few hours https://t.co/NhFBW10STI pic.twitter.com/yogUcpHrR7
— 1010 WINS (@1010WINS) September 15, 2020

Wave action on the SW side of Mobile Bay is really picking up as #Sally approaches. Docks torn apart. 12:00pm. Alabama Port, Alabama. #Hurricane #HurricaneSally2020 pic.twitter.com/cGjZ52vz4B
— Palmetto State Chasers (@PalmettoChasers) September 15, 2020

Closer shot of some docks here in Alabama Port, Alabama. SW Mobile Bay. Water levels from #Sally have submerged some docks, and winds have damaged quite a few of them. 12:00pm. #Hurricane #HurricaneSally2020 pic.twitter.com/N2sy5aX70t
— Palmetto State Chasers (@PalmettoChasers) September 15, 2020

Florida Panhandle

Pensacola

Getting pretty nasty on the bay side of Pensacola Beach. #Sally pic.twitter.com/t8LEiL7Obn
— Jim Cantore (@JimCantore) September 15, 2020

Docks ripped apart, cars and boats destroyed, trees down and flash flooding. Hang in there Gulf Coast! #Sally #Gulfcoast #NWFL #flwx

Video by Kinga Switzer from Bayshore Drive in Pensacola, Florida pic.twitter.com/Vt0LNe9iU8
— Kaitlin Wright (@wxkaitlin) September 15, 2020

Outside my apartments here in Pensacola. Wind keeps howling because of hurricane sally and we are just approaching the bands of it. #HurricaneSally2020 #sally #pensacola pic.twitter.com/ZtJinZS0rE
— Madison (@madigurll) September 16, 2020

Starting to get gnarly along the Bayfront in Pensacola! Lots of overwash already! Full LIVE coverage on @weatherchannel #HurricaneSally2020 #pensacola #Sally pic.twitter.com/W4qCDAnYyT
— Chris Bruin (@TWCChrisBruin) September 15, 2020

Bay St. Louis

About 2 feet of water has taken over roads in some parts of Jourdan River Shores in Kiln. Emergency officials in Hancock Co. say the waters should recede later today but residents should stay away for now. #mswx #Sally #HurricaneSally @sunherald pic.twitter.com/UTmae5KHIY
— Justin Mitchell (@JustinMitchell_) September 15, 2020

Water from the Jourdan River has taken over the Shoreline Park community in Bay St. Louis, MS. Residents who stay for hurricanes move their vehicles to higher ground for safety. #sally #mswx @sunherald pic.twitter.com/4bwUTWrHSk
— Justin Mitchell (@JustinMitchell_) September 15, 2020

Chris Foster evacuates his home in Shoreline Park after floodwaters from Sally take over the streets in the Bay St. Louis neighborhood. #mswx #sally @sunherald pic.twitter.com/8wxNldCLm7
— Justin Mitchell (@JustinMitchell_) September 15, 2020

Biloxi

Live from the Biloxi Lighthouse Cam: pic.twitter.com/wH6WjZeHbX
— Jamie Arrington (@jamie_arrington) September 15, 2020

Hurricane Sally brought in a rough tide and sizable waves to the Mississippi Sound.

Bryan Lockwood of Gulfport usually travels all down the coastline to surf, and he took advantage of the opportunity to catch the waves so close to home in Biloxi on Tuesday afternoon. pic.twitter.com/eCHi60sNaL
— Lukas Flippo (@FlippoLuke) September 16, 2020

Zach Johnson and Bryan Lockwood are two friends from Gulfport that love to surf and are taking advantage of Hurricane Sally’s waves.

Johnson said that they’ll find waves to surf from Florida, Alabama to here in Biloxi, Mississippi.

“The waves were bigger earlier,” he said. pic.twitter.com/Jt7rzGGjl2
— Sun Herald (@sunherald) September 15, 2020

Pascagoula

Scenes from Buffet Beach in Pascagoula.

Many low-lying roads near the area are closed, but residents are stopping by to take a look at the rough surf as #Sally dumps rain across the Coast. pic.twitter.com/yfljab13Fz
— Sun Herald (@sunherald) September 15, 2020

Emily Dominguez hides her eyes as water from Hurricane #Sally rain floods her family's Pascagoula property. pic.twitter.com/fHiLBfRcPu
— Sun Herald (@sunherald) September 15, 2020

This story was originally published September 16, 2020 at 1:25 AM.

Justin Mitchell

Sun Herald

228-604-0705

Justin Mitchell is the Sun Herald senior news editor and works on McClatchy’s audience engagement and development team. He also reports on LGBTQ issues in the Deep South, particularly focusing on Mississippi.