Tropical Storm Danny’s Deluge Forces Evacuations in Alabama

Flooding caused by Tropical Storm Danny’s torrential rain forced scores of people to evacuate Sunday as rushing water washed out roads and poured through homes.

The storm, downgraded to a tropical depression as it weakened and drifted into the Florida Panhandle, left thousands without power, boats wrecked and homes damaged in southern Alabama. One death was blamed on the storm.

More than 30 inches of rain fell on the Alabama coast over three days, with even more concentrated on Mobile Bay, where Danny stalled for most of Saturday, the National Weather Service said. By comparison, the total rainfall for all of last year at Mobile’s airport was just over 66 inches.

Rescue teams using boats and Humvees evacuated scores of people from coastal communities Sunday.

At Fish River, authorities said 125 people were evacuated, many by boat from half-submerged homes. At one point the water became so rough that one boat capsized and forced a brief suspension of rescue efforts.

Some evacuees said the water was so high along the Fish River that only the tops of some roofs were visible.

“People who have lived here their whole life said they have never seen it this bad,” said resident John Mims, who was able to drive to higher ground late Saturday.

“I’ve got water standing 7 to 8 feet on my ground floor,” Mims said. “They tried to send in two Humvees, but they couldn’t get through. They had to send boats.”

However, the evacuation was not mandatory, and a couple of dozen people apparently decided to stay, said Jim Sabell, chief of the fire department for Fish River and a rescue team leader. National Guard officials said those who remained were in no immediate danger.

Danny, which began as a hurricane, was downgraded from a tropical storm to a tropical depression Sunday morning, when its maximum sustained wind eased to less than 39 mph.

The storm was moving toward the north-northeast and was expected to continue weakening as it moved inland, the National Weather Service said.