Tue Nov 10, 6:19 AM ET

A resident walks through strong rain and wind as Tropical Storm Ida approaches, in Gulfport, Mississippi November 9, 2009. A weakened Tropical Storm Ida drenched the U.S. Gulf Coast and oil installations on Monday, shutting down nearly 30 per cent of Gulf energy production. Ida was expected to strike the coast near Mobile, Alabama, early on Tuesday. At one time a Category 2 hurricane, Ida's threat eased as winds dropped to 70 miles per hour (112 km per hour). They were expected to decrease further as the storm approached landfall. Picture taken November 9, 2009. REUTERS/Carlos Barria (UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENT DISASTER IMAGES OF THE DAY)

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