In brief: Storms to hit Southeast, dampen beach holiday

Savannah, Ga. – A cluster of thunderstorms that stalled off the southeastern U.S. coast on Saturday is expected to make for a sloppy, rainy Memorial Day on beaches and in tourist towns from Florida to South Carolina.

Tropical storm warnings were in effect for the entire Georgia coastline, as well as parts of Florida and South Carolina, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Tropical storm conditions – meaning maximum sustained winds of 45 mph – were expected to reach the coast today. Three to 6 inches of rain are forecast for the area. Some coastal flooding is forecast, as the rain could cause high tides.

Federal court gives Shell OK to drill in Alaskan Arctic

Anchorage, Alaska – An appeals court has sided with the federal government in giving the go-ahead to Shell Oil Co. to move forward with drilling in the Alaska Arctic this year, according to a ruling issued Friday night.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected challenges by Alaska Native groups to Shell’s exploration plan in the Beaufort Sea, and, in a separate memorandum, also denied petitions challenging its plan for the Chukchi Sea.

The Native Village of Point Hope and the Inupiat Community of the North Slope asserted the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management failed to properly consider the risks of drilling in the Arctic in approving Shell’s plans.

A number of environmental groups, including Greenpeace, the Sierra Club and the Wilderness Society, also challenged the federal approval.