What could happen if a hurricane forms over the oil spill?
Jul 29, 2010
in
Hurricane
Could the hurricane pick up oil and spread it onto land?
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7 comments
Carly on July 29, 2010 at 10:48 pm
The Hurricane will have a storm surge around its edges and this storm surge could be as high as 20 to 30 feet. The Storm surge will push all of the oil it encounters ahead of it and when the Hurricane makes landfall the storm surge could push the carried oil several miles inland and over a very wide area. This could destroy crops & marshlands & wetlands and it would taje may years to clean such a huge mess up. BP would be 100% responsible for all cleanup which could ultimately bankrupt them.
Todd on July 29, 2010 at 10:48 pm
No. The oil would have to evaporate, and fall back down through the adiabatic process. It’s not going to rain oil nor chemicals. It won’t affect the crops at all. Hurricanes don’t "suck up" water. The worst that would happen is that the storm surge washes oil inland along the immediate shoreline of the coast.
We answer this question at least half a dozen times a day. Does anyone look at the prior few questions, or do a site search, before they ask this?
Sorry for the rant. I’m off of my soapbox now!
barrowboy on July 29, 2010 at 10:48 pm
That would really suck.
John S on July 29, 2010 at 10:48 pm
Chemicals currently being dropped to break up the oil are causing it to evaporate and rain inland.
The darker color of the oil traps more heat, which could potentially fuel the hurricane more.
Any water spouts that formed would pick up the oil, and become oil tornadoes if they reached land.
cicocg62 on July 29, 2010 at 10:48 pm
This is becoming the most common question. Please refer to the following material that gives excellent answers:
http://www.weather.com/outlook/weather-news/news/articles/oil-versus-hurricane-impacts_2010-05-28
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/26/us/26primerWEB.html?th=&emc=th&pagewanted=print
ShalloWhale on July 29, 2010 at 10:48 pm
I’m only speculating. You might think that with the extreme winds and waves of a hurricane that any oil on top of the water would end up on top of the waves and blown on shore by these winds, thus coating the coastal areas with a sheen of crude oil. But perhaps the viscosity of the oil would prevent this from happening. Still, inland flooding would certainly do more damage than usual.
betotron on July 29, 2010 at 10:48 pm
oil everywhere…land/air/sea/ocean