As Hurricane Sally continues to creep northwestward, coastal Big Bend residents can expect heavy rainfall and minor storm surge flooding to continue through Tuesday.
The National Hurricane Center's 10 p.m. CDT update shows the Category 2 hurricane moving toward the Gulf Coast 3 mph, making landfall somewhere between New Orleans and Pensacola Tuesday night or Wednesday. Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties.
Further east, some Big Bend communities could still get 4-8 inches of rain, tropical storm force winds (39 - 73 mph) and 1-3 feet of storm surge flooding over the next 24 hours. The storm is also capable of producing tornados.
The National Weather Service in Tallahassee has issued a tropical storm warning for coastal Bay, Walton and Gulf Counties.
Schools are closed on Tuesday in Bay, Gulf, Walton and Franklin Counties.
"I have concerns about flooding and about the ability of our buses to safely navigate flooded roads," Bay District Schools' Superintendent Bill Husfelt wrote in a press release. "I'm also concerned about the safety of students and staff as they try to get to and from our school buildings."
Hurricane Sally brought minor flooding to the region when it was still a tropical storm more than 150 miles off the state's coast on Monday morning.
Lynn Haven resident Leslie Rhinehart, who lives next to a bayou, wrote in a Facebook message that the storm surge brought water into her neighborhood at high tide.
"It comes up through drainage pipes and ditches," Rhinehart wrote. "It was into some yards here as well."
