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Hurricane Sally: Forceful Winds Flip Tractor-Trailer on Highway

Hurricane Sally, originally a Category One hurricane, has slowly battered the Gulf Coast since 5:45 a.m. EST on Wednesday morning. The storm forced authorities in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana to issue both mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders for citizens living along the Gulf Coast.

On Wedenesday, CBS News posted a video showing just how strong the storm’s winds were blowing. Viewers can see Hurricane Sally’s brutal winds forcing a tractor-trailer to flip over on a highway in Mobile Bay, Alabama. Twitter users have already viewed the video more than 22,000 times.

Hurricane Sally Slowly Wreaks Havoc on Gulf Coast

Sally, which has weakened to a tropical storm, has produced massive amounts of rain. The downpour has led to “catastrophic and life-threatening” flooding in the storm’s surrounding areas. Specifically, the deadly rains have hit hard around the Florida Panhandle and southern Alabama, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The storm’s eye made landfall near Gulf Shores, Alabama, early Wednesday. When it hit land it was still considered a Category 2 hurricane with winds topping 105 mph. As of Wednesday afternoon, the eye was around 30 miles north-northeast of Pensacola, Florida. However, winds had decreased to 70 mph.

The storm is now lagging north-northeast at 5 mph, sustaining a dreadfully slow pace. The slow storm could produce nearly three feet of rain and surges as high as seven feet in some areas. The rainfall quickly surpassed measurements recorded by the inch. Instead, measurements are being taken by the foot. Tornadoes remain a possibility in three states: Florida, Alabama and Georgia.

[H/T CBS News]