Weather stalls Gulf cleanup

GULFPORT, Miss. – Lingering high seas from Hurricane Alex continued to thwart Gulf oil cleanup efforts Thursday, idling all skimming boats from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle for a third consecutive day.

Although Alex didn’t pass over the spill site, it demonstrated the kind of disruption that can thwart a response that is largely reliant on a vast flotilla of ships and small boats.

Experts expect the hurricane season to be particularly active this year. A storm closer to the spill site could force oil giant BP to send its ships to shore, disrupting for as long as two weeks the oil containment effort.