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Weather updates
From NOAA: Winds are forecast to be ENE on Friday at 10-15 knots, and then begin increasing as a tropical depression moves into the north central Gulf. On Saturday, winds are forecast to be E/SE at 20-30 knots then decrease on Sunday to 10-15 knots.
NOAA has prepared a fact sheet of frequently asked questions relating to hurricanes and the oil spill.
Tropical Storm Bonnie is not expected to directly impact Bay County.  |
Today: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 93. Heat index values as high as 106. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southeast.
Tonight: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 78. South southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming east northeast.
Saturday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 91. East southeast wind between 10 and 15 mph. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Saturday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 78. South southeast wind between 5 and 15 mph.
Sunday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 91. South southeast wind between 5 and 10 mph.
Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 78.
From DEP: Easterly winds of 5-10 knots, seas of 1-3 feet nearshore and 4-6 feet offshore, and a 20 percent chance of rain are expected across the northern Gulf coast today. However, Tropical Strom Bonnie will approach the central Gulf of Mexico tonight and tomorrow and will cause winds, seas, and rain chances to increase as it tracks towards eastern Louisiana late Saturday. Heat indices will mostly reach 105-110 across the Florida Panhandle today, and a heat advisory has been issued for the Western
Panhandle until 7pm CDT this evening. Easterly winds and southeasterly waves will continue to push the main portion of the oil plume towards the northwest. The official National Hurricane Center is forecasting Tropical Storm Bonnie to move through South Florida today, before heading into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico late tonight. Once in the Gulf of Mexico, it may move more northwestward, with a potential second landfall near the eastern Louisiana coastline late Saturday as a tropical storm. |
Bonnie stalls BP relief well drilling
According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, currently Deepwater Horizon is not discharging any oil into the Gulf of Mexico. BP well
integrity testing is on hold due to Tropical Storm Bonnie, as is progress on the two relief wells.
The NOAA oil plume model shows the oil plume 75 miles from Pensacola, and 135 miles from Panama City. The NOAA trajectory forecasts scattered tarball fields already nearshore may be carried onshore along the Panhandle coast.
In other news:
-- Bay County received a $3.1 million wire transfer from BP Thursday to fund the construction of the boom project in the St. Andrew Pass. The money will be re-deposited into the county's emergency fund.
-- BP began removing boom throughout the Florida Panhandle on Wednesday in anticipation of impacts from what is now Tropical Storm Bonnie. All Tier 1,2 and 3 boom in Bay County will be removed. Reductions in BP personnel walking the beach in search of oil may come soon, as well as removal of heavy equipment currently staged at the former Miracle Strip Amusement Park.
-- The Florida Department of Environmental Protection issued a fact sheet concerning the oil spill and methane gas, in response to rumors circulating that methane could cause a tsunami in the Gulf. Click here to read more about methane gas as it relates to the oil release.
-- Bridge loans for oil-spill affected businesses are now available in Bay County through the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in partnership with the Bay County Economic Development Alliance (EDA). Eligibility requirements, documentation, applications and instructions can be found here. For more information, please call the SBDC at (850) 271-1108.
-- Please do not touch oiled wildlife. Call (866) 557-1401 and allow authorities to rescue the injured animal. Bay County residents may also call 248-6030 to report oiled or injured wildlife.
-- Often reports of oil are found to be naturally occurring substances such as seagrass and algae. Click here to read a press release about discerning oil from naturally occurring substances.
-- Two decontamination stations are staged in the gulf, with one located three miles south of the St. Andrews Pass and another seven miles south of the pass. Those stations are for commercial, military, response and recreational vessels that are actively sheening as a result of contact with oil product. Boaters whose vessels may have been affected by contact with oil may contact the U.S. Coast Guard on their VHF radios at Channel 16 or Channel 71. A new website, created by BP, lists vessel decontamination locations within the U.S. Coast Guard Mobile Sector for oiled boats.
-- Report suspected oil sightings to the local hotline at (850) 248-6030, or call (866) 448-5816. Dial #DEP from a cell phone to report oil.
-- The state Department of Environmental Protection and the state Department of Health continue to conduct water and air quality sampling. To learn more about the sampling and for health advisories concerning the Deepwater Horizon oil release, click here. DEP conducted water and sediment sampling to use as a baseline and is monitoring air quality data. Statewide air quality monitoring is conducted in coordination with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Learn more here or here. An online mapping resource that contains up-to-date health advisory information for Florida's beach waters can be viewed here.
-- BP's local claims office is located at 7938 Front Beach Road, in the shopping plaza near the Bay Street Deli. BP advises that people filing claims should still call the toll-free number to enter their information into the claims database at (800) 440-0858. BP also has opened a community support office located at 3101 U.S. 98, across the street from Howell Marine and Tackle Supply. At this office, BP can provide information about the oil release and answer community questions. |
Pass project completed, testing postponed
Tests on the St. Andrew Bay pass project will be postponed until weather conditions improve, according to U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Steve Caskey.
The tests, aimed at determining whether the gates in the center of the channel can be safely opened on an incoming tide and would require a temporary closure of the pass, will be conducted at a later time.
Meanwhile, Caskey said, the boom in the pass will remain in place as Tropical Storm Bonnie is expected to head towards Louisiana.
"Right now, our intentions are to leave it in place because the storm is not expected to be severe," Caskey said.
The project is comprised of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) boom pipe attached to steel pilings on either side of the pass and a 400-foot HDPE boom pipe gate in the center of the waterway.
Boaters are warned to exercise extreme caution through the now narrower pass. Boaters are also asked to adhere to a 20-meter, or 65-feet, "safety zone" on either side of the boom, as currents there are very strong.
The boom system is comprised of 18 42-inch free-standing steel pilings and another eight pile "dolphins" (each consisting of three pilings attached together with a cap on them) were driven in the center of the pass. The total of 54 pilings vary in length depending on the depth of the water, and extend at least 10 feet above the mean high tide level and about half their entire length is buried below the bay's floor. The boom is made of 30-inch diameter, two-inch thick HDPE pipe and will have a 48-inch long HDPE fabric weighted skirt hanging below the pipe.
Once the system is tested, much of the boom will likely be staged nearby to reduce congestion in the pass if the oil remains a safe distance away.
The St. Andrew Pass protection plan is completed.  |
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NOAA reopens some areas to fishing
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced a reduction in the area of federal waters previously closed to fishing. All commercial and recreational fishing including catch and release is prohibited in the remaining closed area; however, transit through the area is allowed. The closed area now measures 57,539 sq mi (149,026 sq km) and covers about 24 percent of the Gulf of Mexico exclusive economic zone. Before the southern area was re-opened, 83,927 miles (217,371 sq km), or roughly 35 percent of federal waters of the Gulf, were closed to fishing. NOAA will continue to evaluate the need for fisheries closures based on the evolving nature of the spill and will re-open closed areas as appropriate. Click here to learn more.
To sign up for text messages about closures, click here.
NOAA opened a portion of the area previously closed to fishing on Thursday.  |
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| Visit Bay County Web site for additional information
Unified Command produces an incident action plan (IAP) every 48 hours weekdays on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The IAP contains the newest information regarding the release response in red so that it is easily discernable from more dated information. The IAP is the best way for the general public to keep abreast of all the latest news concerning the oil release. These are posted to the county's Web site for public review as soon as they are prepared and provide the most current information about the oil release.
To view the latest IAP, click here. You may also call the EOC information hotline at (850) 248-6030 for information.
Click here to visit the Bay County Web site.
Click here to view archived E-mail updates. |
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Bay County will continue to strive to provide residents and visitors with the most current information.
Sincerely,
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Bay County Public Information Officer Valerie Lovett
Bay County Board of County Commissioners |
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