Ida should reach land tonight

• By MELISSA NELSON
• Associated Press (AP)
• Published: Nov 8, 2009 - UPDATED: 6 p.m.

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PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) — Some Gulf Coast residents hunkered down at home and in shelters Monday while others ventured outside to watch the approach of a rare late-season tropical storm that brought the potential for high winds, flooding and up to 8 inches of rain in some places.

After a quiet Atlantic storm season, many took the year’s first threat in stride.

At 6 p.m. CST the center of Tropical Storm Ida was located near latitude 28.9 North, longitude 88.5 West or about 40 miles east-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River and about 125 miles south of Mobile, Ala., according to the National Hurricane Center.

Ida is moving toward the north near 17 mph. A reduction in forward speed is expected overnight. On the forecast track the center of Ida should reach the northern Gulf Coast tonight. After landfall Ida is expected to turn eastward on Tuesday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 70 mph with higher gusts. Weakening is expected this evening as Ida moves over cooler waters prior to making landfall and is expected to merge with a frontal zone on Wednesday.

Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 200 miles from the center.

Within the past couple of hours an observing site near the mouth of the Mississippi River at an elevation of 79 feet measured sustained winds of 60 mph with a gust to 74 mph.

“We can ride it out right here,” said T.J. Covacevich, 50, who wore a “Hurricane Hunter” T-shirt as he tied down his powerboat in a Biloxi, Miss., harbor.

Earlier, heavy rain from Ida triggered flooding and landslides in El Salvador that killed at least 130 people. Near New Orleans, a 70-year-old man was feared drowned Monday when trying to help two fishermen whose boat had broken down in the Mississippi River, said Maj. John Marie, a Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s spokesman. A wave knocked him into the water.

Monday evening, Ida was located about 40 miles (60 km) southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River and about 125 miles (200 km) south-southwest of Pensacola. It was moving north-northwest near 17 mph (28 kph) and was expected to make land late Monday or early Tuesday. An observation site near the mouth measured a gust at 74 mph.

Ida had been the third hurricane of this year’s Atlantic season, which ends Dec. 1, but weakened with maximum sustained winds near 70 mph (110 kph).

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said it was expected to weaken further before making landfall along the Gulf Coast. Rain was already falling along the coastline and winds had kicked up the surf.

Nancy Box, 68, of Gulf Shores, Ala., said she hoped the storm fizzled but did not want to chance riding it out in her elevated town house on the beach.