Rought weather caused by Hurricane Alex, the season's first hurricane-strength storm in the Gulf of Mexico, is impeding cleanup efforts on the Coast, reports ABC News. Alex is headed for the Texas-Mexico border, and is not interfering with the cleanup effort at the site of the Deepwater Horizon gusher; however, on shore, winds and high tides are keeping workers from the beaches.
In addition, controlled burns, boom operations and dispersant spraying have all been halted.
In Mississippi, authorities are reporting oil on numerous beaches including Gulfport, Ocean Springs and Pascagoula, reports The Sun Herald. While the rough weather is breaking up some of the oil, it is also dumping it onto the shores faster, Harrison County Emergency Manager Rupert Lacy told The Sun Herald.