Page 36 - Gulf Side News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Dollar tourism industry, really from new orleans to the florida panhandle, with the height of the season coming up. jonathan serre is in obama for us. jonathan, how is this spill affecting the real estate industry already, even though the oil hasn't reached shore? >> it is, indeed, jane, the first to feel the effects are the hotel and vacation rentals, a lot of people canceling their summer vacations in anticipation of the oil spill. earlier we spoke with a woman who owns a vacation rental property on the gulf side of dolphin island. listen. >> if the oil lits -- hits, you know, they're going ...

This oil from coming ashore? >> reporter: jane, they're trying a new technique, on the mobil base of the island, they're using wire mesh barriers and filling those barriers with this special chemical solution that allows sea water to pass through but absorbs oil and when it absorbs oil it turns into a solid that's easily scooped out and you can put more chemical side. on the gulf side of the island, they're worried about heavy waves that have already damaged some of the boom barriers that they had placed there. and so instead, they've brought in heavy equipment to make 4-foot high sand berms. ...

Gulf of mexico, where heavy surf breached much of the inflatable oil containment boom installed last week. >> if we have high tides that we had lately and get oil on top of the high tide and wave action we'll have a natural barrier to prevent the oil coming over the island and encroaching on the backside as well. >> what is at stake are the dauphin island natural wildlife habitat and the tourist dependent economy. from the vacation rental home on the gulf side of the island, marty simmons watches the preventive construction underway. >> that is all we can hope for, they're trying and it will k...

It is cold outside if you are living in minneapolis and st. paul. 11 right now there. 15 in kansas city. looks like it's 34 degrees currently in memphis. and temperatures, as you can see right along the northeast in the 30's. along the atlantic ocean and then you've got some 60's down south along the gulf side of the great state of florida, 63 right now in tampa. later on today, warming up to 62 in raleigh. 20's in the northern plains and if you're already up at 4:34 pacific time, los angeles today, 64 will be the high temperature. >> remember janet jackson's wardrobe malfunction? it's back. >...

Problematic for the july 4th revers that came out here. there were no mandatory evacuations but people were encouraged if they have rvs or mobile homes to get away from the water and move more inland. it's the hurricane watch right now for parts of the west coast of florida that everyone is concerned with as we have sustained projected wind speeds of 70 miles an hour right now as elsa is now headed towards the west coast, the gulf side of florida. storm surge there, especially around tampa, is around 3 to 5 feet. those are the projections. we know, chris, in tampa they opened up an emergency s...