Gov. Kay Ivey on Tuesday ordered visitors and vacationers along Alabama’s Gulf Coast to evacuate beginning at 7 a.m. on Wednesday ahead of Hurricane Delta’s expected landfall later this week.
“Working with local leaders in Orange Beach, Gulf Shores, Dauphin Island and the unincorporated areas of Ono Island and Fort Morgan, it has been determined that all visitors and tourists should proceed with a mandatory evacuation of the Alabama Gulf Coast starting first thing tomorrow morning. This is for their safety and well-being, as well as for the safety and well-being of locals who are working to prepare their communities in the event Hurricane Delta tracks more easterly,” Ivey said in a statement.
The evacuation order is part of a supplemental state of emergency Ivey issued Tuesday afternoon.
“Unless you are a local resident with a hurricane pass or have a pass or decal that has been issued to contractors, property management or other businesses working in response to Hurricane Sally, this mandatory evacuation notice should help us prepare for the worst, even as we hope for the best,” Ivey said.
The National Weather Service’s Mobile office on Tuesday forecasted that Hurricane Delta will turn north over the central Gulf and then northeast before making landfall late this week.
“However, even if Delta makes landfall well to our west, the local area will still see a threat for storm surge, dangerous surf/rip currents, heavy rain, strong winds, and isolated tornadoes. Please continue to check back for forecast updates,” the NWS office in Mobile said on its website.
