Ida weakens to a tropical depression, heads east

DAUPHIN ISLAND, Ala. — Ida sloshed ashore with rain and gusty winds before losing its tropical storm strength Tuesday, leaving weather-hardened Gulf Coast residents largely unscathed.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Ida's center first touched land as a tropical storm on Dauphin Island before heading across Mobile Bay for the Alabama mainland. Top sustained winds dropped to near 35 mph (55 mph) and it became a tropical depression. Ida was moving northeast about 9 mph (15 kph) and expected to turn eastward to follow the Florida Panhandle.

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

The storm left some debris and standing water in the streets on Dauphin Island, but many residents said they were unscathed aside from power outages.

"The only thing it did to us is knock out the power. Our houses and people are fine. I'm fine," resident Jimmy Wentworth said as he sipped coffee outside the Ship&Shore convenience store.

On the lower lying west end of the island, where many residents had evacuated, there was ankle deep water on parts of the road. A police officer standing guard in front of a stretch of the road said the extent of damage was uncertain.

Patricia Pitt's yard on the west end was strewn with minor debris, but otherwise her property was fine.

"It's a lot better than it could have been. I mean who would think I would be out here walking around after a storm like that."

Atlanta resident Mike White drove down Monday to see the storm and was watching breakers crash at Gulf Shores early Tuesday. The sky was clear overhead but there were clouds all around.

"This is spectacular. It's almost like we are in the eyewall," White said.

In Orange Beach, east of Mobile Bay near the Florida state line, hotel desk clerk Frank Worley said Ida was more like a thunderstorm than a hurricane as it slopped ashore overnight.