Photos: Thousands without power, roads shut down as Gordon batters Gulf Coast

The first week of September brought a landfalling tropical storm to the Gulf Coast as Gordon battered the region with flooding rain and damaging winds.

At least one fatality has been confirmed after a tree fell onto a mobile home in Pensacola, Florida, amid strong winds. No other fatalities or major injuries have been reported.

Gordon developed on Labor Day as it soaked Florida Peninsula and gained strength as it tracked over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

States of emergency were declared in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana as the storm approached, with businesses shutting down and residents preparing their homes for damaging winds and flooding.

Gordon made landfall as a strong tropical storm 30 miles east of Biloxi, Mississippi, at 10:15 p.m. CDT Tuesday. Sustained winds at landfall were 70 mph, just 4 mph shy of Category 1 hurricane strength.

The worst of the storm impacted areas along the coast of Alabama and into the far western panhandle of Florida, including Mobile, Alabama; and Pensacola, Florida.

Rainfall totals of 2-6 inches were common in this area with locally higher amounts, and floodwaters led to road closures across the region.

Storm surge also caused flooding along the Gulf Coast and covered the barrier islands, according to the Associated Press.

While flooding was a major concern due to heavy rain and storm surge, strong winds brought down trees and power lines, resulting in widespread power outages.

Nearly 50,000 electric customers were without power in Alabama at some point during the storm, although power had been restored to many of these customers as of Wednesday afternoon.

Gordon also spawned several tornadoes, including a radar-confirmed tornado near West Point, Mississippi, on Wednesday afternoon.

Additional flooding will be possible across the Mississippi Valley through the end of the week as tropical moisture from Gordon continues to fuel heavy rain across the region.

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