Texans Brace for Tropical Storm Alex as It Slows Oil Spill Cleanup

June 29, 2010— -- With Tropical Storm Alex expected to reach hurricane strength today, BP and the Coast Guard ordered oil-scooping ships back to shore as the storm churned up rough seas and powerful winds across the Gulf of Mexico.

U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Dave French said all efforts had been halted for now off the Louisiana coast, as well as the coasts of Florida, Alabama and Mississippi.

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"We're ready to go as soon as conditions allow us to get those people back out and fighting this oil spill," French told The Associated Press.

Coast Guard officials said on this 71st day of the spill disaster that controlled burns of oil, dispersant spraying and booming operations have also all been put on hold.

"Everyone is in because of weather, whether it's thunderstorms or [high] seas," said Wayne Herbert, one of BP's skimming operations managers. Thousands of boats involved in the effort have been sent back to port.

The loss of skimming work combined with 25 mph gusts driving water into the coast has left beaches in the region especially vulnerable. Alabama's normally white beaches were streaked with long lines of oil, and tar balls collected on the sand. One swath of beach 40 feet wide was stained brown and mottled with globs of oil matted together.

Along the Louisiana shore, boom laid to protect sensitive marshes has been ripped from its anchors by the surf and rendered useless.

The Louisiana National Guard's operation to fill in the gaps between barrier islands with sandbags has also been overwhelmed by the higher waters. The Guard has dropped 13,000 sandbags, but today waves easily crested their hard-fought barrier.

"Well, we'll just have to build it bigger," said Lt. James Gabler of the Army National Guard. "We have a couple points that are holding, but, you know, a couple don't count. Hopefully by the next time it comes around, we have it a little higher."