TS Sally slowing as it approaches the coast

Additional local schools report closures
September 13, 2020
Sally still expected to strengthen into a category 1, possibly 2 storm
September 13, 2020
Additional local schools report closures
September 13, 2020
Sally still expected to strengthen into a category 1, possibly 2 storm
September 13, 2020

TS Sally has not changed in regards to forecasted landfall. Sally is expected to be a slow moving system, now moving at only 9 mph, resulting in significant flash flooding for the central Gulf Coast Monday into Wednesday. It is still expected to become a hurricane tomorrow.


 

At 4 p.m. CDT, the center of Tropical Storm Sally was located about 165 miles (265 km) south of Panama City, Florida, and about 215 miles (345 km) east-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River. Sally is moving toward the west-northwest near 9 mph (15 km/h), and this motion is expected to continue through tonight. A slower west- northwestward motion is expected Monday and Monday night, followed by a further decrease in forward speed and a turn to the northwest Monday night and Tuesday. On the forecast track, the center of Sally will move over the north-central Gulf of Mexico tonight and Monday, and approach the north-central Gulf Coast within the hurricane warning area late Monday and Monday night. Sally is expected to move slowly northward near the southeastern Louisiana or Mississippi coasts through Tuesday.

 

Maximum sustained winds are near 60 mph (95 km/h) with higher gusts. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 125 miles (205 km) primarily to the east of the center. Strengthening is expected to occur during the next day or so, and Sally is forecast to become a hurricane on Monday, with some additional strengthening possible before the center nears the northern Gulf Coast.

The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide…
– Mouth of the Mississippi River to Ocean Springs, MS including Lake Borgne…7-11 ft
– Port Fourchon, LA to Mouth of the Mississippi River…4-7 ft
– Ocean Springs, MS to MS/AL State Line…4-7 ft
– Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas…4-6 ft
– MS/AL Border to AL/FL State Line incl. Mobile Bay…2-4 ft
– AL/FL State Line to Chassahowitzka, FL incl. Pensacola Bay, Choctawhatchee Bay, and Saint Andrew Bay…1-3 ft
– Burns Point, LA to Port Fourchon, LA…1-3 ft


Overtopping of local levees outside of the Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System is possible where local inundation values may be higher than those shown above.

 

Sally is expected to be a slow moving system resulting in significant flash flooding for the central Gulf Coast Monday into Wednesday. Sally is expected to produce rainfall of 8 to 16 inches with isolated amounts of 24 inches over portions of the central Gulf Coast from the western Florida Panhandle to southeast Louisiana from Monday through the middle of the week. This rainfall will likely result in new widespread minor to isolated major flooding on area rivers.