MIAMI (November 10 2009)--Ida weakened to a tropical depression Tuesday and was heading east toward the Florida Panhandle with winds near 35 miles per hour, but Ida was a tropical storm when it came ashore earlier Tuesday near Mobile Bay with winds near 45 miles per hour.

The tropical depression is moving northeast about 9 miles per hour and was expected to continue in that direction until being absorbed by a front on Wednesday.

Forecasters say most of the heavy rain is over and tropical storm warnings have been discontinued.

The storm shut down nearly a third of oil and natural gas production in Gulf as oil companies evacuated workers ahead of Ida, but demand for energy is so low due to the economic downturn, energy prices have barely budged.

On Alabama's Dauphin Island, the storm left some debris and standing water in the streets, but aside from power outages, residents say the storm hasn't had much of an impact.

A hotel desk clerk near the Florida state line says Ida was more like a thunderstorm than a hurricane as it came ashore.