PENSACOLA, Fla. — Part of a bridge collapsed in Pensacola as 30 inches of rain and storm surge turned streets into white-capped rivers Wednesday after Hurricane Sally lurched ashore the Gulf Coast.
Though downgraded to a tropical storm by Wednesday afternoon, Sally’s strong winds battered Alabama and Florida as the center moved over the Panhandle. In Pensacola, Florida, a section of the Pensacola Bay Bridge collapsed, and downtown was largely underwater.
The hurricane killed at least one person in Orange Beach, Alabama, located in the state’s eastern Gulf Coast between Mobile and Pensacola. Mayor Tony Kennon told The Associated Press that another person was missing but couldn’t release additional details.
Flooding as the slow storm dumped intense rains has proven to be Sally’s most serious danger: “Historic and catastrophic flooding, including widespread moderate to major river flooding, is unfolding,” forecasters say.
Photos and video from coastal areas showed trees downed, debris and boats thrown about and streets flooded. Around 9 a.m. local time, a water level station in Pensacola reported inundation around 5.5 feet above sea level, the National Hurricane Center said.
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