Hurricane Sally intensified to a Category 2 storm on Sept. 14. It’s forecast to bring heavy rain and potential life-threatening storm surge to parts of Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi. While its strong winds will get plenty of attention, potentially bringing 70 to 100 mph winds between the coasts of southeast Louisiana and Alabama, this storm’s greatest threat is water. This part of the Gulf Coast is extremely vulnerable to storm surge flooding, which refers to the storm-driven rise in water above normally dry land at the coast. Due to its slow forward speed as it approaches the coast, heavy rains will deluge areas from southeast Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle with excessive rainfall, up to two feet in some areas. This could cause widespread, major flooding, and if heavy downpours continue for many hours in New Orleans, they could challenge the capacity of the city’s pumping system. Read more: https://wapo.st/3bWdojn. Subscribe to The Washington Post on YouTube: https://wapo.st/2QOdcqK Follow us: Twitter: https://twitter.com/washingtonpost Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/washingtonpost/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/washingtonpost/