About 10:30 EST this morning, the National Weather Service put Tropical Storm 6, what could become Hurricane Danielle at 12.7N and 34.1W, with a projected path that shows it veering up off the eastern coast of the US. Nevertheless, with current wind speeds around 35 mph, moving NW at 12 mph and estimated winds to be around 100 mph by Friday, no one is taking chances.
Deepwater Horizon Response communications has posted an analysis of what could occur in case of a hurricane hitting the Gulf area affected by the oil spill.
Among the messages:
- The high winds may distribute oil over a wider area (than has all ready occurred0, but it's difficult to predict or model this in advance;
- Most hurricanes span an enormous area of the ocean (200-300 miles) -- far wider than the current spill;
- Movement of oil in the Gulf would depend greatly on how the hurricane tracks;
- Waves could bring in oil from the spill, including related debris contaminated by oil; the storm surges could extend from the coast and marshes to as far inland as the storm carries them;
- A hurricane's winds rotate counter-clockwise, so in very general terms, a hurricane passing to the west of the oil slick could drive oil to the coast; a hurricane passing to the east would therefore drive oil away from the coast.
Speculation remains very preliminary at this point. Gulf residents should stay abreast of the news and keep checking weather reports for updates.
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