Oil slick heads towards Florida beaches

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts that southerly and southwesterly winds are driving the oil towards the Alabama coast.

Despite no official confirmation the slick has reached Dauphin Island, a barrier island 22 miles from Mobile, scattered tar balls are visible on several beaches and continue to wash ashore.

Tar balls result from wind and wave action dispersing an oil slick and mixing the crude oil with water to form an emulsion. When the emulsion is broken up by the wind, it forms tar balls.

Alabama had planned a gated boom system to block oil from entering Mobile Bay but gave up on the idea after winds and currents prevented installation of the gate. Instead, the Mobile Bay entrance has three layers of deflection boom on each side of the ship channel, with the idea of capturing any oil as it comes in.

The greatest worry in resort towns like Dauphin Island is that the oil will keep the tourist income away.