By Brian Livingston / staff writer
The year's first hurricane to reach the Gulf of Mexico lost much of her punch Monday afternoon as Ida was downgraded to a tropical storm.
Meridian and Lauderdale County expected rain and maybe some gusty winds from the storm.
"The winds and rain won't be much different than from those we've gotten at any other time this year," said David Sharp, director of the Lauderdale County Emergency Management Agency. "We'll get some rain and then the system will move off pretty quick to the east."
At 3 p.m. Monday Tropical Storm Ida was about 165 miles southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River traveling at about 18 mph. Ida was expected to lose a little more power as it approached the Gulf Coast causing her to slow down. Landfall, according to National Weather Service Meteorologist Jim Fairley, was to fall between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. today.
"Landfall should be about at the Mobile, Alabama area," said Fairly. "It will have a northeast track and start breaking up pretty quickly with a cold front bearing down on the area."
Fairly said there just isn't enough warm weather to fuel the storm system as with past hurricanes. Although the waters in the Gulf of Mexico are still relatively warm, they weren't warm enough to help Ida grow and as she storm got closer to land, cooler temps were taking more wind out of her.
Officials with the National Weather Service said total storm rainfall accumulations could be anywhere from 3 to 6 inches through Wednesday evening from the central and eastern Gulf Coast across the Southeastern United States and Southern Mid-Atlantic states.
Mississippi Power spokesperson, Cindy Duvall, said their company will continue to monitor the path and intensity of the storm to ensure the company is prepared to respond if needed. Even in less threatening storms, safety should be the concern of everyone. Duvall said Mississippi Power has issued tips on how to remain safe during any storm situation.
* Treat any downed wire as if it is energized.
* Don't attempt to repair the electrical system or pull tree limbs off lines.
* Stay clear of areas where there is a lot of debris or downed trees that could conceal an energized power line.
* Wait a reasonable time before calling customer service if your entire neighborhood is without power.
* If you have an electric generator, ensure that you have isolated your home or business from the utility electrical service lines by opening main breakers or other devices. Do not connect portable generators to your household electrical wiring. This can cause serious injury to you and to Mississippi Power employees working on the lines. Connect only essential appliances, such as freezers and refrigerators, directly to the generator.
* If your power is off, turn off large appliances and air conditioners and wait 10 to 15 minutes after power has been restored before turning them back on.
