Ida weakens, heads east

• By GREG BLUESTEIN AND JAY REEVES
• Associated Press (AP)
• Published: Nov 10, 2009 - UPDATED: 11:22 a.m.

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DAUPHIN ISLAND, Alabama (AP) — Tropical Storm Ida sloshed ashore with rain and gusty winds Tuesday before weakening to a depression, leaving weather-hardened Gulf Coast residents largely unscathed.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Ida's center first touched land on Dauphin Island before heading across Mobile Bay toward the Alabama mainland.

Top sustained winds dropped to near 35 mph (55 mph) as Ida weakened and moved northeast at about 9 mph (15 kph). It was expected to turn east and follow the Florida Panhandle before being absorbed by a front Wednesday.

Tropical storm warnings were discontinued across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. Forecasters said the storm had already spread most of its heavy rain onshore along the Gulf Coast ahead of Ida's center.

"The only thing it did to us is knock out the power," resident Jimmy Wentworth said. "Our houses and people are fine. I'm fine."

The storm had shut down nearly a third of oil and natural gas production in the Gulf as companies moved workers ahead of Ida. Still, demand was so low due to the economic downturn that energy prices barely budged Tuesday. Oil companies were expected to fly workers back out to platforms relatively quickly to restart operations.

Earlier in the week, a low-pressure system that may be linked to the hurricane triggered flooding and landslides in El Salvador that killed at least 130 people.

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8:05 a.m.

GULF SHORES, Ala. (AP) — Tropical Storm Ida blew ashore with rain and gusty but weakening winds before dawn Tuesday as weather-hardened Gulf Coast residents rode out the rare late-season storm.

 

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Ida's center first touched land on Dauphin Island and was headed across Mobile Bay for the Alabama mainland, with top sustained winds slowing to about 45 mph (75 kph). Ida was moving northeast about 9 mph (15 kph) and expected to turn eastward to follow the Florida Panhandle.