A tropical storm set to hit the Gulf might impede the oil-spill cleanup effort and bring more oil to the shore.
The National Hurricane Service issued a tropical storm watch for this weekend, as Bonnie is set to move through the Gulf of Mexico this weekend. It is predicted to make landfall in Louisiana on Sunday.
In advance of the weather, BP has suspended work on a relief well to permanently seal the damaged well. Oil-skimming ships will have to come ashore. At this point, no oil has been spilling into the Gulf for the past seven days, as the damaged well is currently covered by a cap.
The Southeast isn’t expecting a reprieve this summer — this hurricane season is predicted to be one of the most active on record and Bonnie is only its second named storm.