(CNN) — Sally threatened the southeast with torrential rains and misery Thursday after flooding engulfed homes, knocked down power lines and turned streets into rivers in Florida and Alabama.
At least one person died and another is missing after Sally made landfall as a Category 2 hurricane early Wednesday in Alabama, Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon told CNN affiliate WSFA.
Torrential rains and high winds left more than 510,000 customers in Alabama and Florida without power early Thursday.
Sally is the fourth hurricane to make landfall in the United States this year after Hanna, Isaias and Laura, the most for the same date in 16 years.
It downgraded to a tropical storm after making landfall and then further weakened to a tropical depression Wednesday night.
But despite losing steam, flooding remained a concern as they soaked southeast Alabama and central Georgia on Thursday. From there, tonight she will move to South Carolina.
Wherever it goes, it is forecast to cause disastrous flooding.
LOOK: PHOTOS | Sally leaves destruction and flooding in Florida and Alabama
Florida: four months of rain in four hours
While Sally has weakened since she made landfall, her devastation will be felt in different states.
At least eight rivers in southwestern Alabama and the western Florida Panhandle are expected to reach significant flood stages.
“We had 30 inches (about 76 centimeters) of rain in Pensacola, more than 30 inches of rain, which is four months of rain in four hours,” said Ginny Cranor, chief of the Pensacola Fire Department.
Total rainfall of 10 to 3 inches is possible from Mobile Bay to Tallahassee, Florida, forecasters said.
“My house is full of water, I have two to six inches of water in my house, everywhere,” Terry Morgan, a Freeport resident, told CNN affiliate WJHG. More homes in the area are surrounded by water.
In Pensacola and other parts of Florida, where rivers were approaching dangerous levels and downed trees and power lines made roads dangerous, counties established curfews to keep residents safe.
Escambia County, which includes Pensacola, asked residents to stay home so teams can assess roads and bridges.
Local police will enforce the curfew from dusk to dawn for three nights starting Wednesday.
“We are still on a lifesaving assessment and recovery mission, and we need to be able to do that work,” said County Commissioner Robert Bender.
“We are still evaluating our roads and bridges to make sure they are safe.”
Crews rescued 377 people near the state line with Alabama and feared many more could be in danger in the coming days, said Jason Rogers, the county’s director of public safety.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said the danger is far from over, warning that “virtually any body of water in Northwest Florida” could see levels rise in the coming days due to Sally.
“There will be a lot of property damage,” he added.
“When you look at downtown Pensacola, you see a meter of water there, that will probably affect all the businesses that are in downtown Pensacola, there’s just no question about that.”
More than 220,000 customers are without power in Florida, according to poweroutage.us.
LOOK: Flooded streets and destroyed furniture: this is how a drone recorded the damage caused by Hurricane Sally in Florida
Alabama on alert for Sally
Sally’s torrential rains triggered historic and catastrophic flooding, the National Hurricane Center said. Nearly 290,000 customers were without power in Alabama according to poweroutage.us.
In Gulf Shores, near where the hurricane made landfall, Doris Stiers assessed the damage outside her beach home. She was stunned.
“It looks like a war zone,” he told CNN. ‘Much destruction, houses destroyed, roofs missing. I have not had any service, electricity or internet. Bad night”.
Matt Wilson, a resident of Orange Beach, who weathered the storm at his home, said it was terrifying.
“The windows of our house blew out… and the whole house was shaking like a boat in water. It was scary, man, it really was, ”Wilson told CNN affiliate WPMI.
“Our dock is obviously gone. Everything on the ground floor is gone.
Alabama officials warned that even though the storm has weakened, residents should not lower their guard.
“The storm may have left our local area, but it is important to remain vigilant as many areas are still affected by persistent flooding,” tweeted the National Weather Service in Mobile.
What’s next beyond Florida and Alabama?
Sally has downgraded to a tropical depression, but the rains remain a major threat and her risks are not limited to Florida and Alabama.
Mandatory evacuations were ordered for much of the coastline and low-lying areas from Mississippi to Florida, and shelters were opened to accommodate evacuees.
Southeastern Alabama and central Georgia could see 4 to 12 inches of rain, with possible major flash flooding. Parts of South Carolina are forecast to receive 4 to 10 inches of rain, CNN meteorologist Robert Shackelford said.
From west to central North Carolina and southeastern Virginia, they could see up to 8 inches in isolated areas, he added.
“We have already seen significant flooding in parts of Alabama from this rain band. Please remember, turn around, don’t drown, ”the National Weather Service in Atlanta tweeted.
In addition to the rain, there is a slight risk of severe weather along the Sally Trail with possible isolated tornadoes, ”Shackelford said.
Sally made landfall 16 years after the day Category 3 Hurricane Ivan struck nearly the same areas.
Nicole Chavez, Jason Hanna, and Tina Burnside contributed to this report.
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