Ida landfalls on Dauphin Island, Alabama; weakens and loses tropical characteristics

November 10, 9:43 AMJackson Weather ExaminerJohnny Kelly

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(NOAA)  Infrared Rainbow Satellite Loop as Ida made landfall Tuesday morning

Ida came ashore near Mobile Bay in southern Alabama as a weak tropical storm with max sustained winds of 45 mph and higher gusts up to 60 mph. The tropical storm force winds extended out 175 miles from the center of the storm.

According to the National Hurricane Center, Ida made landfall on Dauphin Island at 540 am CST and  has since become extratropical, losing all of its tropical characteristics with diminishing winds expected throughout the day.

While Ida has weakened to a tropical depression, heavy rainfall and flooding will likely continue as the remnants of Ida track to the north and east across Alabama, Georgia, and the Carolinas. (3 to 6 inches of rainfall is possible with locally higher amounts)

Ida became the 2nd named storm to make landfall in the United States during the 2009 Atlantic Hurricane Season. (Tropical Storm Claudette made landfall August 17th in Santa Rosa, Florida and or near Pensacola, Florida)

Ida was the 3rd hurricane of the season and was the first hurricane to make landfall since 1925 during an El Nino year. (Ida made its first landfall on the Nicaragua Coast as a category 1 hurricane)

No major damage reports associated with Ida's landfall,  but there were numerous reports of minor to moderate storm surge flooding and flooding from excessive rainfall along with reports of trees and power lines down from the tropical storm force wind gusts over 40 mph.

(Ida's heavy rains spread across Eastern Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia-Tuesday morning)

Several notable reports:

•  COASTAL FLOODING INUNDATION OF SEVERAL LOW LYING ROADS AND STREETS IN HANCOCK COUNTY FROM BAY ST. LOUIS...NEAR SAINT LOUIS BAY...TO PEARLINGTON INCLUDING SHORELINE PARK AREA. MANY ROADS WERE EITHER IMPASSABLE OR HAD HIGH WATER. (Hancock County, MS)
• A TREE BLEW DOWN ON A HOME IN BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI WITH 5 OTHER HOMES DAMAGED
• WIDESPREAD STREET FLOODING IN ORANGE BEACH, ALABAMA
• 40 ROADS WERE CLOSED DUE TO COASTAL FLOODING IN JACKSON COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI
• ROADS FLOODED IN MOUNT WILLING AT KNIGHTS PLACE ROAD. FLOODWATERS HAVE ENTERED THREE MOBILE HOMES REQUIRING EVACUATION. (Lowndes County, AL)
• TREES REPORTED DOWN IN THE VICINITY OF CAMP SHELBY AS WELL AS IN OTHER RURAL AREAS ACROSS SOUTHERN FORREST COUNTY.
• A FEW TREES AND POWERLINES REPORTED DOWN ACROSS THE COUNTY WITH TROPICAL STORM FORCE GUSTS OVERNIGHT.  (Gulf County, Florida)
• PARTS OF U.S. 11 WAS CLOSED IN BOTH DIRECTIONS FROM CHEF MENTEUR HIGHWAY AND LITTLE IRISH BAYOU NEAR INTERSTATE 10  DUE TO TIDAL WATER THAT ROSE AND FLOODED THE ROADWAY IN NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA

(Weather Underground: Ida Storm History)