With winds predominantly from the east and south east, the plume and additional oil product has stayed away from us the last 10 days keeping the amount of oil product, including tarballs, sheen and other effects from the Deep Horizon Oil Spill off our beaches. Over the weekend, there was very few scattered debris with signs of oil on it reported in just a few areas on Panama City Beach. Very few tarballs have been reported in Panama City Beach in the last 10 days.
Right now, the forecast looks good for Fourth of July weekend.
Easterly and southeasterly winds have kept the oil spill plume away from us this week with nothing more than a few scattered pieces of oil soaked debris coming ashore up and down Panama City Beach. As recently as last weekend, we had landfall of tarballs from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill that’s still discharging into the gulf.
Bay County is being very proactive in minimizing any impact that we may see from the oil spill in Panama City Beach and our surrounding areas. Efforts include building a complex boom gate system in the pass to limit any “product” from entering inland water ways, ordering 13 beach rakes (3 on their way, 10 more ordered), 4 skimmers working 7 miles off shore skimming product as it nears, and over 300 BP contractors are patrolling the beach non-stop surveying for any signs of oil making landfall. Over the last couple days, contractors have begun nighttime operations as well with over 1,000 more people ready to be deployed for cleanup efforts if and when needed.
As the oil plume moved more to the east late last week, we began to see some landfall of tarballs Friday and over the weekend. Saturday morning, reports of tarballs and an oiled bird were made in Carillon Beach on the west end of Panama City Beach. Today, there are a slew of them scattered on the west end of Panama City Beach. The only way I could describe it will make it sound like there is oil everywhere, which isn’t true. It’s best for me to show you pictures and describe what I’m seeing. Here we go:
Last summer, on the Fourth of July weekend, the new Russell Fields Pier opened – also known as the City Pier in Panama City Beach. And while this year, the Russel Fields Pier, across from Pier Park is all set to open the much anticipated amenities, the County Pier 2 miles east is preparing to open. On schedule for their first day of operations on July 4th, this summer will be one pier better than last giving local and visiting anglers alike a new place to throw a line.
With the looming threat of oil hitting our pristine beaches in one form or another, the Bay County Tourism Development Council (TDC) met this week to discuss how they can fight the negativity and display why Panama City Beach is still an ideal summer vacation spot for guests, new and old alike. The solution was to come up with a whole summer full of fun with festivals, live concerts and events that will show our visitors that in Panama City Beach, it’s not just the beach anymore.
There is no oil in Panama City Beach. Pensacola is receiving oil landfall right now, and we could see some environmental impact in the coming weeks. So far, winds have kept the oil away from our beaches, although westerly winds over the last week began moving it closer our direction. Over the last couple days, the winds had shifted to a more easterly direction moving the oil away from us again, but those winds are expected to change back towards us by weeks end.
Last summer, when the new Publix opened at the intersection of R Jackson Blvd and Back Beach Road, Dunkin Donuts came, along with Tropical Smoothie and a variety of other assorted shops. Office Depot was supposed to be on the roster, but I was told that due to the downturn in the economy, they had indefinitely pulled out of this new location and were actually re-evaluating the operations of many other locations across the U.S. Well, things must have turned around for them because their sign is back up, the inside of the space is close to being finished off and they are scheduled to open within the next four weeks.
As of today, there is no oil in Panama City Beach. There is no smell, there has not been any tar balls, oil sheen, tar mats, or oil foam reported on the beaches of the Florida Panhandle. Right now, our beaches are just as beautiful as ever. That’s the good news. The bad news is that oil has been reported 10 miles offshore of Pensacola. In fact, quoting the noon report of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, “?Areas of tarballs, tar patties, and sheen have been confirmed approximately 10 miles from the Escambia County shoreline and 6 miles from Navarre Beach.” Again, nothing on the beaches, yet.
With the huge fanfare of the opening of the new Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport CNN aired a segment interviewing local officials and talking about the prospective economic prosperity that the new airport can bring. Cool!
To show all their customers and potential customers they care, Hidden Dunes condominiums on Thomas Drive in Panama City Beach has taken a very proactive stance in getting the word out that oil is not effecting their beautiful resort or the pristine beaches it lies on. They actually hired us (the CYber SYtes team) to shoot a video of their property and put it on their web site. The point was to emphasize that while the situation in the Gulf of Mexico is very serious, it has not effected us environmentally yet, and actually doesn’t look like it will.
Still, as of today, we have no tar balls or sheen hitting the beaches of Northwest Florida or Panama City Beach. This is great news.
So, the video is great, but really what makes them special is what they are doing to help their customers feel special and assured their vacation investment is protected.
One of the cool efforts of the Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau is that they are in the process of adopting an area-wide plan where if the beaches are closed during a visitor’s stay, the participating resort will offer a $200 travel credit towards a return visit. Hidden Dunes is proud to be supporting this and will indeed offer a $200 travel credit to anyone whose vacation is interrupted by government closed beaches. If the Panama City Beach CVB program has enough buy-in, they’ll spend some money marketing it and making it known across our feeder markets.
PCBDaily 