Hurricane Ivan Batters Gulf Coast; Many Ports Remain Closed

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urricane Ivan reached the Golf Coast of the United States on overnight with winds of 130 mph, deadly tornadoes and heavy rains, news services reported.

At least 12 deaths were blamed on the storm and knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of people, the Associated Press reported. The storm made landfall near the resort town of Gulf Shores, Ala., at 1:50 a.m. local time Thursday morning, the National Hurricane Center said.

The Florida Panhandle appeared to be bearing the brunt of the storm, CNN reported. Pensacola Mayor John Fogg said the effects of the storm would be "pretty horrendous." At least one bridge over Interstate 10 in the city had collapsed.

Many ports remained closed Thursday in the Gulf Coast region including the Port of New Orleans, a major hub for ships on the Mississippi River and in the Gulf of Mexico. Analysts said the closures could have an effect as shipments of steel, copper, rubber and coffee, the Associated Press reported.

Also, most offshore oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico remained closed as workers were evacuated ahead of the storm, CNN reported. And the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port -- which brings in about 16% of U.S. daily oil consumption -- shut down early due to Ivan.

DaimlerChrysler AG's Mercedes-Benz canceled overtime at its factory in Vance, Ala., due to the storm, Bloomberg reported. However, the plant would remain open for normal hours as would many others in the region, Bloomberg said.

Max Mayfield, the director of the National Hurricane Center, said inland areas should prepare for a foot of rain or more as Ivan moves across the Southeast.

The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for as far away as North Carolina, which suffered heavy flooding last week from the remnants of Hurricane Frances, AP said. The heavy rain also could trigger mud and rock slides.