The flooded Sanibel Island in Florida. PA Images PA Images

FOR JUST THE second time in recorded history, there are currently five active tropical cyclones raging in the Atlantic at the same time. 

According to meteorologists, the only other time this happened was in September 1971.

Right now, Hurricane Sally is churning slowly towards the coast of the southern US states. The other storms are Hurricane Paulette, tropical storms Teddy and Vicky and tropical depression Rene.

Hurricane Paulette, a Category 2 storm, pounded the island of Bermuda yesterday with strong winds and heavy rains, according to the NHC.

Hurricane Sally has now been classified as a Category 2 storm as it moves towards Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi. 

The US National Hurricane Center said the storm in the Gulf of Mexico was packing maximum sustained winds of around 160 km/h per hour.

AS of last night it was located 233 km southeast of Biloxi, Mississippi and heading in a west-northwesterly direction.

It was expected to make landfall late Tuesday or early Wednesday.

NHC is monitoring 3 disturbances early this Tuesday, in addition to the 4 active tropical cyclones. The system in the far eastern tropical Atlantic is likely to become a depression over the next few days, while the other 2 systems have low chances. More: https://t.co/tW4KeFW0gB pic.twitter.com/9yYw10X5dO

— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 15, 2020

“Additional strengthening is forecast tonight and early Tuesday and Sally is expected to be a dangerous hurricane when it moves onshore,” the NHC warned, using language that refers to a storm of Category 3 or higher at landfall.

Governor John Bel Edwards of Louisiana, which is still recovering from Hurricane Laura, which made landfall as a Category 4 storm, told residents to be prepared.

“Be smart and be safe,” he tweeted.

The governors of Alabama and Mississippi both declared a state of emergency ahead of the approaching storm.

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves said Hurricane Sally was expected to make landfall around Biloxi at 2:00 am local-time on Wednesday.

“The storm surge projections continue to be worrisome with anywhere from five to eight feet of coastal surge,” Reeves said.

“We are continuing to be very concerned about the amount of rainfall,” he said, adding that some areas could be drenched in as much as 20 inches (50 cm) of rain.