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Alex moves on path away from spill
VENICE, La., (UPI) -- Tropical Storm Alex plodded across the Gulf of Mexico Monday on a path that could send it away from the massive gulf oil spill, forecasters said.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Alex could reach hurricane strength Tuesday and AccuWeather.com said the storm could reach Category 2 status by Wednesday.
At 11 p.m. EDT Monday, the storm was about 440 miles east-southeast of Las Pesca, Mexico, and about 505 miles southeast of Brownville, Texas, the hurricane center said. Maximum sustained winds were 65 mph and the storm moving north at 5 mph.
Alex was expected to pick up speed and turn toward the northwest Tuesday, before turning toward the north-northwest Wednesday. On its current forecast track, the storm would cross the southern Gulf of Mexico and approach the coast late Wednesday.
A hurricane warning was posted Monday night for the coast of Texas south of Baffin Bay to the mouth of the Rio Grande and for the coast of Mexico from the Rio Grande to La Cruz. A tropical storm warning was posted for the coast of Texas from Baffin Bay to Port O'Connor.
The center said Alex could produce 5 to 10 inches of rain over portions of northeastern Mexico and southern Texas during the next few days. The storm could produced 3 to 6 inches of rain in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, southern Mexico and portions of Guatemala through Tuesday, with 10 inches possible in some mountainous areas. The center warned that rains could produce dangerous flash floods and mudslides.
Forecasters said they haven't ruled out a possible easterly shift in Alex's path.
"We all know the weather is unpredictable, and we could have a sudden last-minute change," said Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, national incident commander.
If Alex shifts direction and forces a work stoppage at the collapsed BP oil well, officials expressed concern that as much as 2.5 million gallons of oil could flow into the gulf for two weeks because it would take that long to put equipment back into position, meaning the containment cap would be off and oil would flow unchecked, CNN said.
Researchers have estimated that, since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded April 20, killing 11 workers, the well has spewed between 35,000 and 60,000 barrels of oil into the gulf each day.
VENICE, La., (UPI) -- Tropical Storm Alex plodded across the Gulf of Mexico Monday on a path that could send it away from the massive gulf oil spill, forecasters said.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Alex could reach hurricane strength Tuesday and AccuWeather.com said the storm could reach Category 2 status by Wednesday.
At 11 p.m. EDT Monday, the storm was about 440 miles east-southeast of Las Pesca, Mexico, and about 505 miles southeast of Brownville, Texas, the hurricane center said. Maximum sustained winds were 65 mph and the storm moving north at 5 mph.
Alex was expected to pick up speed and turn toward the northwest Tuesday, before turning toward the north-northwest Wednesday. On its current forecast track, the storm would cross the southern Gulf of Mexico and approach the coast late Wednesday.
A hurricane warning was posted Monday night for the coast of Texas south of Baffin Bay to the mouth of the Rio Grande and for the coast of Mexico from the Rio Grande to La Cruz. A tropical storm warning was posted for the coast of Texas from Baffin Bay to Port O'Connor.
The center said Alex could produce 5 to 10 inches of rain over portions of northeastern Mexico and southern Texas during the next few days. The storm could produced 3 to 6 inches of rain in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, southern Mexico and portions of Guatemala through Tuesday, with 10 inches possible in some mountainous areas. The center warned that rains could produce dangerous flash floods and mudslides.
Forecasters said they haven't ruled out a possible easterly shift in Alex's path.
"We all know the weather is unpredictable, and we could have a sudden last-minute change," said Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, national incident commander.
If Alex shifts direction and forces a work stoppage at the collapsed BP oil well, officials expressed concern that as much as 2.5 million gallons of oil could flow into the gulf for two weeks because it would take that long to put equipment back into position, meaning the containment cap would be off and oil would flow unchecked, CNN said.
Researchers have estimated that, since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded April 20, killing 11 workers, the well has spewed between 35,000 and 60,000 barrels of oil into the gulf each day.
