Tourism/travel news, updates and discussions about the states along the Gulf of Mexico: Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, Please add your own thoughts, questions and observations!
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Set to last 4-5 days, but fatalities fortunately so far minimal.http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/27/us/harvey-landfall/index.html
Read more…OK, what I'm going to say might make me sound like a jerk, but here goes: Last night I was having a heated discussion with my girlfriend , whose sister was planning to spend a week on the Florida panhandle in August (she'd bought tickets before the BP oil spill) and is now looking into canceling her tickets. My girlfriend thinks her sister should go anyway and show solidarity with the poor folks on the coast, and help them out with her vacation dollars. It's true those poor people need all the…
Read more…I recently visited the FL Panhandle. I was impressed with how everyone kept things going despite the misperceptions on how the oil spill has affected nearby areas. Everything is alive and well from Destin to Panama City. My first feature from the trip is on YOLO Boarding. Check it out here. The next feature will discuss the rise of Alys Beach and much more. We will have it all up on Mens Traveler. beaches.jpg
Read more…I'd like to drive over to Apalachicola from Miami in a few days. It seems to me that the oil spill is not affecting this area (my heart goes out to all the areas affected now or in the future). Can someone provide more information on the current conditions there? Are oysters still being served? Also, any stops that you recommend on my way, or in that area? My interests are: dog friendly, slow food, nature & hiking.
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AAA: Visitors Still Coming to Gulf Coast
A recently completed AAA Consumer Pulse survey on travel itineraries in light of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico shows 32 percent of respondents plan to visit Florida in the next 12 months and, of those, 52 percent plan to visit Florida’s Gulf Coast.
Out of the Gulf Coast visitors, the survey shows 87 percent have not made any changes to their travel plans in the past 30 days. Of the 13 percent who did, 21 percent attribute the changes to the Gulf oil spill compared to zero in the benchmark survey conducted by AAA May 24-28.
Other findings from the survey:
* Sixty percent of respondents have a negative perception of Florida’s Panhandle beach conditions for swimming and other recreational activities, while 24 percent have a similarly negative perception of Florida’s west coast beaches. AAA speculated the negative perception may be attributed to the high number of respondents (85 percent) who said they closely follow news of the oil disaster.
* Of survey respondents planning to visit Florida’s Gulf Coast, 23 percent plan to do so during the upcoming Independence Day weekend. Twenty-nine percent of those recently made changes to their travel plans because of the oil spill (53 percent), a destination change (24 percent) or they simply canceled their plans (23 percent).
The survey was conducted online June 24-28 among a total of 1,519 respondents; of those, 484 plan to visit Florida.
As Hurricane Alex moves into the northern Gulf of Mexico and heads for landfall near the U.S.-Mexico border, Galvestonians can breath a collective sigh of relief...
Forecasted weather models indicate that Hurricane Alex will bring rain and high tides this week to Galveston Island. By late Friday the rain is expected to be replaced by sunshine, but wave action will continue along the beachfront rewarding area surfers. Galveston's beautiful weather will be back for the holiday weekend.
Coastal Flood Advisory: Currently a coastal flood watch for the upper Texas Coast, including Galveston Island, is in effect. This watch could be upgraded to a warning later tonight. High tides are expected Wednesday morning through Thursday morning. Flooding in low-lying areas could occur along Galveston's West End. City officials are advising drivers to avoid standing water over the next two days.
Surf Conditions: Alex will create significant wave action along Galveston's beachfront. Waves are predicted to be in the six to eight foot range Wednesday morning through Friday. Swimming conditions will be adversely affected."
"Mississippi Gulf Coast Remains Open
All of the Mississippi Gulf Coast beaches and barrier islands are open including Ship Island with excursions running from the Gulfport Small Craft Harbor. Oil has entered the Mississippi Sound. Additional measures are being taken to protect the Mississippi shoreline and harbors and marinas. Mississippi state waters have been closed to fishing and shrimping east of the Gulfport Ship Channel as a precautionary measure due to the presence of oil. Beach advisories have been issued Harrison County and Jackson County."
Brad Stephens "The oil seems to be heading away from Panama City Beach looks like we are gifted another weekend of sugar white sands. Hope everyone makes it down for the 4th celebrations!"
"-- Perdido Key had up to 30 percent coverage of tar balls, stain, mousse and sheen.
-- Pensacola Beach had reports of patchy and scattered tar balls covering up to 30 percent of the beach in some areas.
-- An reconnaissance flight reported a six-mile-long area of heavy sheen, streamers and mousse patches floating just offshore from Perdido Pass to Johnson Beach.
-- A nine-mile-long section of similar oil types was floating offshore from Fort Pickens to Portofino."
Also:
"Local officials going by their gut when deciding if beaches OK for swimmers. Despite detailed water-quality tests and daily oil-spotting flights, local officials said a lack of federal guidance is forcing them to "wing it" when deciding if local beaches are safe for swimmers...
'The thing that frustrates public officials is there is no science. ... There is no science that you can use to see exactly when it is unsafe,' said Keith Wilkins, deputy chief of neighborhood and community services for Escambia.
Wilkins said federal health regulations specify maximum allowable levels of dissolved hydrocarbons in things like drinking water, but there are no established limits on what levels are safe for swimming.
Wilkins said the EPA is currently developing standards for safe levels in swimming water, but it has not yet released that information to county governments...
There are several challenges in determining the maximum safe levels of oil in swimming water. One is that some people are more sensitive than others to oil contact. Children are generally more sensitive than adults, and people with respiratory problems can be affected by oil vapor at much lower levels than the general population...
In the meantime, public safety officials at the beach are relying on the more rudimentary method of watching for oil in the water and warning people to avoid swimming when visible oil is present.
'I went swimming on Saturday in the Gulf, and it was fine," W.A. "Buck" Lee, Santa Rosa Island Authority executive director, said Wednesday. 'A day or two later, I might not want to go in there.'"
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