Hurricane Ivan blasts Alabama and Florida, spinning off killer tornadoes

GULF SHORES, Ala. — Hurricane Ivan slammed into the Gulf Coast early Thursday with 130 mph wind, launching tornadoes, washing out a major bridge and hurling metal signs through the night. At least 11 U.S. deaths were blamed on the storm, but officials said the toll and the damage could have been even worse.

Up to 15 inches of rain was expected as the storm moved inland. It remained a Category 1 hurricane with wind of 75 mph eight hours after its 2 a.m. CDT landfall before weakening to a tropical storm. At 1 p.m., its sustained wind speed was 70 mph.

Ivan had already killed 68 as it passed through the Caribbean.

For Florida, it was the third storm in five weeks. Hurricane Charley struck the state Aug. 13 and Frances on Sept. 5; the two caused dozens of deaths and billions of dollars in damage.

When Ivan hit the Gulf Coast, it knocked out power to nearly 1 1/2 million customers, toppled trees and ripped off roofs. In the beach resort town of Gulf Shores, where the storm's eye came ashore, the sky glowed bright green as electrical transformers blew.

Still, many of the millions of Gulf Coast residents who spent a frightening night in shelters and boarded-up homes emerged Thursday morning to find that Ivan was not the catastrophe they had feared.

"Ivan was nowhere near as bad as Frederic — not even close," Mobile Police Chief Sam Cochran said, referring to the 1979 storm that devastated the Alabama coast. "I think we were really spared and blessed."

New Orleans, especially vulnerable to storms because much of it lies below sea level, had wind and just a touch of rain.

"Leaves in the pool — that's it," said Shane Eschete, assistant general manager of the Inn on Bourbon Street. "It won't take us long to clean that up."

Downtown Mobile was deserted early Thursday. Historic, oak-tree-lined Government Street was blocked with downed tree limbs, metal signs, roofing material and other storm debris.

"We were wondering at first if we made the right choice or not," said Marc Oliver, 38, who rode out the storm with his family in Mobile, moving from room to room as the wind shifted. "We had some trees down in our yard and roofing damage. Other than that, we came out pretty good."

President Bush signed disaster declarations Thursday for Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi, and was awaiting paperwork from Florida, press secretary Scott McClellan said.