For the Destin/Panama City area re. horrible oil slick in Gulf
Apr 27th, 2010, 04:04 PM
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For the Destin/Panama City area re. horrible oil slick in Gulf
Can someone give me the latest on what the area around Destin is anticipating in regards to the horrible oil slick now near Louisiana in the Gulf. The news says it may spread as far as Pensacola. Like thousands, we are taking a vacation to Seagrove Beach June 5 and are watching the progression of the oil with bated breath. Would we be overreacting to cancel our reservations? We have until May 5 to cancel with a loss of only $50, but later would be much more. Any opinions or any news in the area that may help us make a decision?
Apr 28th, 2010, 12:54 PM
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MAP,
I live at Pensacola Beach and, like you, am waiting with bated breath to see how this plays out.
Since you have until May 5th, maybe wait to see what happens over these next few days. There are so may variables - wind direction, wave action, currents - which come into play. Not to mention whether or not they can stop that thing from flowing.
Seagrove is about 70 miles from us, in oil-slick miles, and so we'll likely be hit earlier, if we get hit at all. And right now, no one is willing to stick out their neck and say if we will be and/or when we will be. Again, it's all those variables I mentioned, and I don't blame them.
If you want to hold off on canceling for a few more days, I'll keep you updated on what I hear on our local news. Or, God forbid, step on on our beach. But if you want to bail and make other plans, I'd certainly understand that.
I live at Pensacola Beach and, like you, am waiting with bated breath to see how this plays out.
Since you have until May 5th, maybe wait to see what happens over these next few days. There are so may variables - wind direction, wave action, currents - which come into play. Not to mention whether or not they can stop that thing from flowing.
Seagrove is about 70 miles from us, in oil-slick miles, and so we'll likely be hit earlier, if we get hit at all. And right now, no one is willing to stick out their neck and say if we will be and/or when we will be. Again, it's all those variables I mentioned, and I don't blame them.
If you want to hold off on canceling for a few more days, I'll keep you updated on what I hear on our local news. Or, God forbid, step on on our beach. But if you want to bail and make other plans, I'd certainly understand that.
Apr 28th, 2010, 02:35 PM
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Thank you so much, Floridafran. You will be in my thoughts as will all the people of the panhandle area. Oil reaching the beaches would be a monumental tragedy.
Yes, if you hear any news, I would love to hear it first hand, so I will continue checking this site often. We'll be praying for a miracle, because at this point, a disaster seems imminent. We feel so sorry for those of you who live there and have experienced so much in past years with hurricanes and damage.
Yes, if you hear any news, I would love to hear it first hand, so I will continue checking this site often. We'll be praying for a miracle, because at this point, a disaster seems imminent. We feel so sorry for those of you who live there and have experienced so much in past years with hurricanes and damage.
Apr 30th, 2010, 05:59 AM
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Hi again, MAP,
bkluvsNola is correct but our local weather forecaster says a lot depends on when that "cold" front gets here. That will bring winds out of the North which could push the oil away from us. At least for a few days.
They have begun setting up booms along the coast west of us and are to begin deploying them here soon. The plan appears to be to try to stay a step ahead of the slick but so much depends on wind direction and wave height that I don't see how in the world this isn't going to be a natural disaster that will make our damage from past hurricanes seem minor in comparison.
This couldn't have come at a worse time of year. Turtle nesting season is about to begin, the porpoises and cobia are migrating through, sea birds have just begun to nest on the beaches, not to mention all the other sealife that's spawning. And that just covers some of the nature that will be affected. The economic side is a whole other story.
Like you, people are having to decide whether to cancel vacation plans to areas that might be impacted by the oil. Our tourist season is the summer because our winters are too cold for any but hearty snowbirds. Hotels, restaurants, charter fishermen - all have about 3 months to make the money that will help them survive the rest of the year. Businesses have been told to begin keeping records of cancellations and lost revenue for the lawsuits that are already being filed.
If the oil hits our beaches it will takes years and years to recover from the natural and economic losses. As our governor said - "This is in God's hands." And it'll take a miracle to save us from this mess.
As for if or when the area at Seagrove will be affected - no one knows at this point. But this spill is worse than they originally thought and they say it will be at least 2-3 weeks before they can try to cap it with a dome. If that fails, then it could be another 6-8 weeks to drill a parallel well to stop it. With the way the winds and currents in the Gulf shift, who knows how far this stuff will spread. And the booms aren't going to catch it all.
In all honesty, if I were in your shoes - I'd probably cancel my reservations by the 5th unless the projected scenario drastically changes for the better. A vacation is supposed to be something to look forward to with happy anticipation. I couldn't stand worrying for a month if I'd screwed up and we'd either lose more money by canceling later, or end going and having a miserable time because we couldn't enjoy the beach. If it turns out that we do, by some miracle, dodge this bullet then you can plan to come next year.
Needless to say, I'm going to be keeping a close watch on the news. I'll post back here at the beginning of the week to let you know the latest.
bkluvsNola is correct but our local weather forecaster says a lot depends on when that "cold" front gets here. That will bring winds out of the North which could push the oil away from us. At least for a few days.
They have begun setting up booms along the coast west of us and are to begin deploying them here soon. The plan appears to be to try to stay a step ahead of the slick but so much depends on wind direction and wave height that I don't see how in the world this isn't going to be a natural disaster that will make our damage from past hurricanes seem minor in comparison.
This couldn't have come at a worse time of year. Turtle nesting season is about to begin, the porpoises and cobia are migrating through, sea birds have just begun to nest on the beaches, not to mention all the other sealife that's spawning. And that just covers some of the nature that will be affected. The economic side is a whole other story.
Like you, people are having to decide whether to cancel vacation plans to areas that might be impacted by the oil. Our tourist season is the summer because our winters are too cold for any but hearty snowbirds. Hotels, restaurants, charter fishermen - all have about 3 months to make the money that will help them survive the rest of the year. Businesses have been told to begin keeping records of cancellations and lost revenue for the lawsuits that are already being filed.
If the oil hits our beaches it will takes years and years to recover from the natural and economic losses. As our governor said - "This is in God's hands." And it'll take a miracle to save us from this mess.
As for if or when the area at Seagrove will be affected - no one knows at this point. But this spill is worse than they originally thought and they say it will be at least 2-3 weeks before they can try to cap it with a dome. If that fails, then it could be another 6-8 weeks to drill a parallel well to stop it. With the way the winds and currents in the Gulf shift, who knows how far this stuff will spread. And the booms aren't going to catch it all.
In all honesty, if I were in your shoes - I'd probably cancel my reservations by the 5th unless the projected scenario drastically changes for the better. A vacation is supposed to be something to look forward to with happy anticipation. I couldn't stand worrying for a month if I'd screwed up and we'd either lose more money by canceling later, or end going and having a miserable time because we couldn't enjoy the beach. If it turns out that we do, by some miracle, dodge this bullet then you can plan to come next year.
Needless to say, I'm going to be keeping a close watch on the news. I'll post back here at the beginning of the week to let you know the latest.
Apr 30th, 2010, 08:09 AM
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Your thoughtful and thorough response is greatly appreciated, Floridafan. We are holding off cancelling as long as we can. Breaks my heart. Your area is Heaven on earth and we have enjoyed it for 25 years. thanks again.
I'd really appreciate any updates you have.
I'd really appreciate any updates you have.
Apr 30th, 2010, 09:07 AM
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Floridafran,
Are Floridians now rethinking the new drilling off their coast? This was off the Louisiana coast and still will impact Florida. I hope the sugar white sands of Destin don't turn black, but in all likelihood they will.
I sure hope this will jolt the American people to the realization that drilling for oil in new places is not a good solution. The oil industry claims that with new "technology" oil spills don't happen, but this spill just proved the opposite.
In many ways, the oil slick hitting Louisiana is just as bad as hitting the Florida coast. Louisiana is home to 1/4 of the seafood industry in the US, including most of the shrimp, oyster, crab, and gulf varieties of fish (snapper, redfish, etc...) and it's a lot harder to clean up the numerous inlets in Louisiana. In many ways, on the Florida Gulf Coast, they could just run bulldozers to scoop up the top layer along the beaches. However, Florida's "raison d'etre" is the beach and tourism will suffer. All in all, this is horrible
Are Floridians now rethinking the new drilling off their coast? This was off the Louisiana coast and still will impact Florida. I hope the sugar white sands of Destin don't turn black, but in all likelihood they will.
I sure hope this will jolt the American people to the realization that drilling for oil in new places is not a good solution. The oil industry claims that with new "technology" oil spills don't happen, but this spill just proved the opposite.
In many ways, the oil slick hitting Louisiana is just as bad as hitting the Florida coast. Louisiana is home to 1/4 of the seafood industry in the US, including most of the shrimp, oyster, crab, and gulf varieties of fish (snapper, redfish, etc...) and it's a lot harder to clean up the numerous inlets in Louisiana. In many ways, on the Florida Gulf Coast, they could just run bulldozers to scoop up the top layer along the beaches. However, Florida's "raison d'etre" is the beach and tourism will suffer. All in all, this is horrible
Apr 30th, 2010, 08:26 PM
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bkluvsNola,
Many of us Floridians never were in favor in any drilling, anywhere off our coasts. Our governor, Charlie Crist, has finally come to realize that his idea of "safe" drilling just isn't so safe after all. Unfortunately our U.S. representative from this area, Jeff Miller, is still on the drill bandwagon. But when the stuff starts fouling the beaches, killing sea life, and putting people out of business he may finally get the message, if not now, then in the next election.
I agree that the oil hitting Louisiana is every bit as bad, if not worse, than hitting anywhere else along the Gulf coast. I remember seeing all the estuaries and islands when we cruised in and out of New Orleans. I recall thinking at the time how fragile it all looked. But clean-up here isn't going to be as simple as scooping up the top layer. According to a local geologist, the very properties that make our sand so special, also cause it soak up and bind with the oil in a way that makes cleaning up the mess more difficult. Even if we could get rid of all the tainted sand, the sand we'd normally use to renourish the beaches comes from a few miles offshore. And that's going to be oily too with the stuff that sinks.
Right now the prevailing winds (out of the SE) are holding it offshore but the general feeling is that it's just a matter of time.
MAP,
I wish I could tell you something more, but the heavy cloud cover today made new satellite photos pretty useless. Tomorrow it's supposed to clear up so maybe we'll know more then. On tonight's late news they said they'll begin deploying the booms in this area tomorrow if the seas don't continue to build - as it's forecast they will. As I mentioned to bkluvsNola, the winds are keeping it away for now. If they shift around, when the front comes through, that could also work in our favor. But we normally get a lot of wind out of the SW and sooner or later, it'll change direction to one that's less favorable to us.
And I have to agree with you about this area. After hurricane Ivan hit us people asked me why I was staying. I told them hurricanes are the occasional inconvenience we put up with to live in paradise the rest of the time. At least those I can prepare for and run from. For this I just feel so helpless to do anything to lessen the impact.
I'll keep you posted.
Many of us Floridians never were in favor in any drilling, anywhere off our coasts. Our governor, Charlie Crist, has finally come to realize that his idea of "safe" drilling just isn't so safe after all. Unfortunately our U.S. representative from this area, Jeff Miller, is still on the drill bandwagon. But when the stuff starts fouling the beaches, killing sea life, and putting people out of business he may finally get the message, if not now, then in the next election.
I agree that the oil hitting Louisiana is every bit as bad, if not worse, than hitting anywhere else along the Gulf coast. I remember seeing all the estuaries and islands when we cruised in and out of New Orleans. I recall thinking at the time how fragile it all looked. But clean-up here isn't going to be as simple as scooping up the top layer. According to a local geologist, the very properties that make our sand so special, also cause it soak up and bind with the oil in a way that makes cleaning up the mess more difficult. Even if we could get rid of all the tainted sand, the sand we'd normally use to renourish the beaches comes from a few miles offshore. And that's going to be oily too with the stuff that sinks.
Right now the prevailing winds (out of the SE) are holding it offshore but the general feeling is that it's just a matter of time.
MAP,
I wish I could tell you something more, but the heavy cloud cover today made new satellite photos pretty useless. Tomorrow it's supposed to clear up so maybe we'll know more then. On tonight's late news they said they'll begin deploying the booms in this area tomorrow if the seas don't continue to build - as it's forecast they will. As I mentioned to bkluvsNola, the winds are keeping it away for now. If they shift around, when the front comes through, that could also work in our favor. But we normally get a lot of wind out of the SW and sooner or later, it'll change direction to one that's less favorable to us.
And I have to agree with you about this area. After hurricane Ivan hit us people asked me why I was staying. I told them hurricanes are the occasional inconvenience we put up with to live in paradise the rest of the time. At least those I can prepare for and run from. For this I just feel so helpless to do anything to lessen the impact.
I'll keep you posted.
May 1st, 2010, 11:06 AM
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Well, Floridafan, this just gets sadder and sadder. I am 100% against off shore drilling, and I find it appalling that our federal government doesn't hold companies to higher safety standards.
I appreciate your contact and hope you continue to fill all of us in. So sorry for your whole area.
I appreciate your contact and hope you continue to fill all of us in. So sorry for your whole area.
May 2nd, 2010, 07:57 PM
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MAP,
Late local news tonight says the latest update has the slick due South of us by sometime Tuesday. If the Weather Channel forecast is correct, that's bad because the wind is supposed to begin shifting direction Wednesday night to coming out of the W or SW. Forecast to continue from that direction until Saturday. That will push the slick toward us and, in time, toward Seagrove. On Saturday, it's forecast to shift to coming out of the NW then N. That will push it away again. That shift may occur in time to keep it away from Seagrove.
However, these are all forecasts, some almost a week out. Who knows what will actually happen?
Thanks for your good thoughts for all in the path of this mess.
If anything new comes up, I'll post again.
Late local news tonight says the latest update has the slick due South of us by sometime Tuesday. If the Weather Channel forecast is correct, that's bad because the wind is supposed to begin shifting direction Wednesday night to coming out of the W or SW. Forecast to continue from that direction until Saturday. That will push the slick toward us and, in time, toward Seagrove. On Saturday, it's forecast to shift to coming out of the NW then N. That will push it away again. That shift may occur in time to keep it away from Seagrove.
However, these are all forecasts, some almost a week out. Who knows what will actually happen?
Thanks for your good thoughts for all in the path of this mess.
If anything new comes up, I'll post again.
May 3rd, 2010, 03:56 AM
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floridafran
Thanks for keeping us updated I have until wed to make my descion we are due to go down june 6th i really don't want to cancel but due to us rent a codo right on the beach and to think of it becoming black is not good.I feel for all the animals and people in your area i will check again on wed night for updates.I will continue to pray the wind will shift
Thanks for keeping us updated I have until wed to make my descion we are due to go down june 6th i really don't want to cancel but due to us rent a codo right on the beach and to think of it becoming black is not good.I feel for all the animals and people in your area i will check again on wed night for updates.I will continue to pray the wind will shift
May 3rd, 2010, 06:38 AM
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This is really bad for the owners of vacation rental homes on the Florida beaches. We own three vacation rentals in the north GA mountains and if something happened that would prevent us from renting our homes for two or three months. we would lose our homes and likely be forced into bankruptcy. Do not panic and cancel on these homeowners without doing the research to confirm there is an issue. Call them up and talk with them. someone should post a link to a website where info on beach conditions and projections can be seen so that people can make educated decisions. Talk to these homeowners about the situation before you cancel. We trade time in our mountain homes for time in Fl beach homes several times a year and think that it would be just awful if they were impacted by this oil issue.
May 3rd, 2010, 07:28 AM
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I have talked with owner she dose not give alot of info on it they don't know except what they are hearing on the news I keep trying to get info but not a whole lot of luck finding info on Destin are money is due by 7 we are due the for another 33 alot can happen.I don't want to cancel but the main reason we spent the extra money was to get ocean front.I have never been to Destin but pictures are breathtaking but we can not wait to long to find a new location alot of places are filling up my prayers are with all the business and wildlife
May 3rd, 2010, 12:50 PM
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Tracy,
I live at Pensacola Beach and understand that condo owner's problem with giving you much info. Yesterday morning they told us the oil would be ashore here by Wednesday. But over the past 2 days the slick has moved back to the West by quite a bit so that prediction is now no longer valid.
Today our wind shifted and started coming out of the North - a good thing for us oil-slick-wise - but that may be only temporary because of the thunderstorms moving through here right now. It wasn't supposed to start blowing out of the North until Saturday. That same forecast had the winds predicted to begin blowing out of the W and SW on Wednesday night - very bad for us oil-slick-wise - but now that's changing a bit. I'm telling you all of this so you and others will get a clearer picture of why we can't give you much help when it comes to predictions.
On NOAA's website - www.noaa.gov - the have a response restoration link. (I'm sorry I don't recall how to do that tiny url thing, and the actual link is way too long to post here.) There are a couple of maps that show the projected location of the spill and the actual location. That's where I saw that the spill has gone "backwards" over the past 2 days. It takes forever to load, maybe because so many people are going there, or maybe it's just that the graphics are pretty big. Just be patient and you'll finally get the maps. If I can find that info on doing the tiny url I'll re-post with the link in that form.
If I knew of a website where info on beach conditions and projections could be seen, I'd post it. The NOAA site is the only thing I've found and it only projects out for a day or two. All the variables I mentioned earlier to MAP in this thread make it pretty much impossible to accurately predict where this mess is going and when it will get there.
There's a professor over at LSU who says it may not come here at all. He's been studying Santa Rosa Island and Okaloosa Island for years and years. Does he know what he's talking about? Is he making an educated guess based on all those years of research and study? Or is he just saying what he knows the people around here are hoping will be the outcome of all this? I haven't clue. Unfortunately, I'm not sure the people in "charge of this mess" have a clue either.
I'm not in a tourism related business, but I know plenty of people who are and I'm afraid that this could cost some of them their livelihoods. BP has said they'll pay for lost business revenue and the news is telling everyone to keep records of cancellations, lost revenue, etc. I feel sorry for these people and truly hope they can collect from BP. I've heard some people wondering if residents will be able to collect for the stress they're going through. I'm seeing plenty of that. Worse than after a bad hurricane.
But my real sympathy is for the wildlife. They won't be getting a check from anybody.
As I told MAP earlier in this thread, if this is going to stress you out - cancel. A vacation is all about having a good time, including the happy anticipation of it. If we dodge the bullet and the oil doesn't come here, you can plan a trip for next year. If you decide to cancel, don't feel guilty.
I live at Pensacola Beach and understand that condo owner's problem with giving you much info. Yesterday morning they told us the oil would be ashore here by Wednesday. But over the past 2 days the slick has moved back to the West by quite a bit so that prediction is now no longer valid.
Today our wind shifted and started coming out of the North - a good thing for us oil-slick-wise - but that may be only temporary because of the thunderstorms moving through here right now. It wasn't supposed to start blowing out of the North until Saturday. That same forecast had the winds predicted to begin blowing out of the W and SW on Wednesday night - very bad for us oil-slick-wise - but now that's changing a bit. I'm telling you all of this so you and others will get a clearer picture of why we can't give you much help when it comes to predictions.
On NOAA's website - www.noaa.gov - the have a response restoration link. (I'm sorry I don't recall how to do that tiny url thing, and the actual link is way too long to post here.) There are a couple of maps that show the projected location of the spill and the actual location. That's where I saw that the spill has gone "backwards" over the past 2 days. It takes forever to load, maybe because so many people are going there, or maybe it's just that the graphics are pretty big. Just be patient and you'll finally get the maps. If I can find that info on doing the tiny url I'll re-post with the link in that form.
If I knew of a website where info on beach conditions and projections could be seen, I'd post it. The NOAA site is the only thing I've found and it only projects out for a day or two. All the variables I mentioned earlier to MAP in this thread make it pretty much impossible to accurately predict where this mess is going and when it will get there.
There's a professor over at LSU who says it may not come here at all. He's been studying Santa Rosa Island and Okaloosa Island for years and years. Does he know what he's talking about? Is he making an educated guess based on all those years of research and study? Or is he just saying what he knows the people around here are hoping will be the outcome of all this? I haven't clue. Unfortunately, I'm not sure the people in "charge of this mess" have a clue either.
I'm not in a tourism related business, but I know plenty of people who are and I'm afraid that this could cost some of them their livelihoods. BP has said they'll pay for lost business revenue and the news is telling everyone to keep records of cancellations, lost revenue, etc. I feel sorry for these people and truly hope they can collect from BP. I've heard some people wondering if residents will be able to collect for the stress they're going through. I'm seeing plenty of that. Worse than after a bad hurricane.
But my real sympathy is for the wildlife. They won't be getting a check from anybody.
As I told MAP earlier in this thread, if this is going to stress you out - cancel. A vacation is all about having a good time, including the happy anticipation of it. If we dodge the bullet and the oil doesn't come here, you can plan a trip for next year. If you decide to cancel, don't feel guilty.
May 3rd, 2010, 02:09 PM
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thank u for all the info we are waiting until thursday or friday by then we should no something i hate canceling becuse i know how it will infect everyone down there if u can post something thursday morning becuse im not finding out alot thanks again my prayers are with everyone
May 3rd, 2010, 06:48 PM
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Reporters were in South Louisiana today expecting a heavy oil slick to descend upon the shoreline but it never came. Apparently the wind actually scattered the oil across a large surface area where the oil was small particles that are almost undetectable. Also, unlike Alaska, the sun is strong down here, so a lot of the oil is being evaporated and it's in open ocean instead of a protected bay so there's great dilution going on.
On the other hand, dead turtles have been washing up on the MS Gulf Coast. So, the oil is harming animals out at sea, but it has been mainly staying out there, except for a few slicks that hit Louisiana initially.
I suspect that this may be something that may not initially hit Florida, but there may be tarballs floating out there in the next 6 months or so. So the whole beach may not turn black, but occasional tarballs will wash up. I suspect this is what will happen. If so, as long as Florida has constant beach patrols to pick up the tarballs, things may be okay. I read that they approved dumping soiled/tarred sand into the landfill in Pensacola, probably a good idea because nobody will want that in their back yard.
On the other hand, dead turtles have been washing up on the MS Gulf Coast. So, the oil is harming animals out at sea, but it has been mainly staying out there, except for a few slicks that hit Louisiana initially.
I suspect that this may be something that may not initially hit Florida, but there may be tarballs floating out there in the next 6 months or so. So the whole beach may not turn black, but occasional tarballs will wash up. I suspect this is what will happen. If so, as long as Florida has constant beach patrols to pick up the tarballs, things may be okay. I read that they approved dumping soiled/tarred sand into the landfill in Pensacola, probably a good idea because nobody will want that in their back yard.
May 4th, 2010, 03:51 AM
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Thanks for all the info we don't hear alot about the oil spill in mo.i have been checking on here and cnn to get as much info if someone can give me an update on thursday morning that would be great.
May 4th, 2010, 04:57 AM
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my trip is set for june 6th-12 we are staying at surfside any one know anything about that place we have until 7th to cancel so we are waitng until thursday morning then i will send money off.The ladies on here i have been very informative thank you so much for taking time to write on this blog.It is greatly appreciated since im not there to see whats going on.if bkluvsnola is correct about only tar balls come a float every now then and the water is save to swim in we will be there.
