What a tragic time for the Gulf of Mexico. The oil spill has started affecting all of us in this nation. As Louisiana & the Florida Panhandle start seeing the sad visuals of what has now become a reality, we wonder how this will affect our Pinellas County beaches. Smith & Associates Real Estate is not the expert in this part of the equation, but often we do have waterfront home owners and buyers who want to know how this disaster affects them in Tampa Bay. We did a lot of research, and we do hope you all do the same when it comes to this subject. The oil spill currently is impacting the Louisiana coastline and a few Florida beaches in the Panhandle, as identified in the map areas.

All of Florida’s beaches remain open. At this time, there are no beach closures and Florida’s state waters remain open to recreational fishing. Florida’s 825 miles of beaches, 1,260 miles of coastline and 14 seaports (including cruise ships), remain open for business. Now just because things seem “fine” today on the Tampa Bay beaches, does not mean the area will not see any effects. Only time will tell, but as for today, “our beaches are beautiful, and the water is blue”, according to Sheila Cole of the Clearwater Beach Chamber of Commerce. The water current system seems to play in Tampa’s favor, with the current taking water flow from destination south/west. The good news for us in Florida is that the weather continues to cooperate. The winds continue out of the south/southeast and the current continues to push the oil slightly to the west. This should limit any onshore impact. Please use the NY Times Oil Spill Water Current Map to help track this disaster. Following this link will give you all the tools to offer assistance in this time of need.

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