I've heard from my tenants at Treasure Island (whose son is an avid surfer) that for the first time in a long time -- it's GONE!!!!!!!!!!

How about it, Joan? Can you weigh in? Anybody else out there in Red Tide land heard this rumor???

Tandoori - I hope you are right! But - the maps on the Official FL Fish and Game site don't look promising. Sept. 2 report shows ALOT of red tide all in and around Sarasota- Clearwater - etc.
We still don't know if we should cancel our plans. I guess we could always drive south to Naples and hope to find a decent place last minute.

How about some input from all you folks online who know first hand what is going on? The Chamber of Commerce is certainly not going to tell us!

Living in Treasure Island, yesterday we went to the beach, which was gorgeous. No dead fish (freshly raked for the holiday weekend I'm sure), and the water was crystal clear. We swam and for the first time since January, I saw A SCHOOL OF FISH!!! Little babies to be sure, but I am very excited. Perhaps this is the beginning of a turnaround for our beloved Gulf - maybe even the silver lining from that b!tch Katrina???

However I did sneeze upon arriving at the beach, as did my husband....so we can't be sure, but the signs are good. I will keep posting if I see changes. Last week during the surfing frenzy from katrina, it was bizarre: there was excessive foam from the waves, and it was tan instead of white, and tickled the throat and nose. Apparently the foam lifts the red tide particles and disperses it into the air, which kills it. So ....maybe just maybe... good days ahead!

Folks, setting aside the screen name, this post is genuine. We care.
_____________________

Ok, so after donating to my charity of choice, I couldn't sit still. I wanted to go and offer help directly, but that wasn't feasable.

Instead, I have done the only thing I know I can do quickly and effectively...build a website!

I have created a Hurricane Family Help portal located at http://www.hurricanefamilyhelp.org

1st things 1st - we DO NOT accept donations.

Here is the stated purpose:

1) To unite displaced individuals and families of hurricane Katrina with others willing to offer immediate SHORT TERM shelter.

2) To unite displaced individuals and families of hurricane Katrina with others willing to offer LONG TERM shelter.

3) To unite the survivors with family and friends.

4) To find full or part time employment opportunities for hurricane victims.

5) To provide contact information for charities, communities, and churches offering assistance.

Thank you,
Craig

ttt
robson1 - here is the thread about red tide with links.

A current update from the shores of St Pete Beach, south end: Red Tide and dead fish are still here. I step outside my door and begin choking with my first breath. The smell of dead fish along the beach is pretty strong, but I would guess they will be raked up and cleared off soon. That isn't the big problem, however; the red tide persists and is a puzzle to everyone, including the ocean scientists.

A long answer to a short question now rather outdated: Katrina didn't flush out the red tide.

In the long term Katrina could make the red tide worse. Since red tide blooms when it comes in contact w/ phosphates, nitrates and other pollutants, it will have plenty of nasty run off to feed on. The water they are pumping out of NO will eventually make it to the Gulf. It will be an ecological disaster, but what choice do they have?

viamar wrote:
"Since red tide blooms when it comes in contact w/ phosphates, nitrates and other pollutants"

Not true at all. In fact I recently read that the concentration of red tide is actually nonexistent in two places in Tampa Bay that have nutrient runoff from phosphate plants. Scientists even experimented by introducing red tide into a sample of phosphate - and the phosphate killed the red tide.

This is from the Mote Marine website:
"It is a natural phenomenon, apparently unrelated to manmade pollution."

See more:
http://isurus.mote.org/~mhenry/rtupdate.phtml

As awful as the "toxic stew" in NOLA is, and I agree the runoff will cause eco problems, red tide is apparently not one of them...

I give up - I cancelled my reservations and booked a week on the east coast. I couldn't take the stress of worrying about not being able to use the beach - the whole point of my trip. I can't believe all the stuff the different Chambers of Commerce sent me about Florida and the gulf coast and not ONE mention of Red Tide. I hope the word gets out to others before they waste their vacation money.

'dat you, Joe?