Photo courtesy AP News
Residents in Florida’s Panhandle and in greater Mobile, Alabama, have not even fully recovered from Hurricane Sally, yet they must buckle up for the impact of a new storm.
Tropical Storm Delta has intensified to a Category 4 hurricane with winds reportedly growing to 145 mph causing some to fear for their safety.
Sally appeared to have come out of nowhere. Now with Delta looming and expected to make landfall Friday evening, residents are bracing for the impact.
According to USA Today, Sally drenched Alabama and Florida with more than 2 feet of rain in some areas and caused at least $29 million of damage in Florida’s Escambia County and its capital,Pensacola.
With hurricane season in full affect, it has been a challenge for some students to stay productive in school. Some FAMU students who are learning remotely from Pensacola and neighboring areas are dreading the upcoming days as more information is released about Hurricane Delta.
Sierra Lyons, a senior journalism major, is in Pensacola still recovering from Sally’s damage.
“Hurricane Sally has caused overwhelming devastation in Pensacola,” she said. “I’m grateful that my family and I had minimal damage to our property. Our roof and fence need repairs but ultimately the damage for us was minimal.
“I was without power for four days and without water for a day and a half so I had no WiFi and internet access. When I was able to connect to WiFi at grocery stores or gas stations I reached out to my professors to let them know why I wasn’t in class or responsive to assignments. Professor Blackburn was also extremely helpful in being a point of contact between me and my professors,” Lyons added.
To prepare for the new storm, Lyons is attempting to fill up her gas tank and stock up on groceries.
Omari Harris, a Pensacola resident and senior at FAMU, is skeptical about Delta’s touchdown but says he’d like to stay with his family regardless.
“I did hear about Hurricane Delta getting stronger, but I don’t know what to think yet since the path keeps changing,” he said. “I really hope Delta doesn’t take power away like Hurricane Sally did. It hasn’t even been a month since Sally struck Pensacola. If I feel like Delta will strike, then I will try to [contact] my professors ahead of time because I would rather not leave my family.”
Gulf Shores, Alabama, told its residents who are deciding to stay put that preparing for the storm is the best thing to do. They were instructed to stop taking additional debris to the roadside to avoid property damage. The heavy winds are said to be strong enough to pick up and toss large debris into nearby property, according to NBC 15 News.
Along with keeping debris off the streets, the city of Gulf Shores instructed its residents to “stay weather alert and to fuel up.”
Senior meteorologist Randy Adkins said,“Residents across the Gulf Coast from southeast Texas to Florida” should be prepared for the storm to make landfall “at the end of the week or early next weekend,” in USA Today.
Rattlers residing in these areas should take the necessary precautions to ensure their safety. To keep up with Hurricane Delta updates visit, www.nhc.noaa.gov.