Tropical Storm Bonnie moving toward oil spill

By JUAN McCARTNEY, Associated Press Writer – Fri Jul 23, 5:20 am ET

NASSAU, Bahamas – Tropical Storm Bonnie steamed through the central Bahamas and was approaching the Florida Keys on Friday along a course that is expected to cross over the site of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Rain and lightning raked the low-lying Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas on Thursday, and forecasters at the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said the storm could reach the Gulf of Mexico by Saturday.

Early Friday, Bonnie had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph), and was centered about 155 miles (250 kilometers) southeast of Miami.

The center of Bonnie was expected to pass near or over the Florida Keys later Friday and part of the southern Florida peninsula. U.S.forecasters said slow strengthening of the storm was possible during the next 48 hours.

Capt. Stephen Russell, director of the Bahamian National Emergency Management Agency, said there were no reports of major damage, flooding or injuries on islands in the southeastern and central Bahamas already passed by the storm. The storm wasn't yet clear of the most heavily populated islands in the northeast, including New Providence and Grand Bahama.

"We are advising everyone to remain vigilant throughout the night and early morning when the storm exits the Bahamas," Russell said.

A broken oil well has spewed somewhere between 94 million and 184 million gallons into the Gulf before a cap could be attached. The crisis — the biggest offshore oil spill in U.S. history — unfolded after the BP-leased Deepwater Horizon rig exploded April 20, killing 11 workers.

Some experts worry the hurricane season could worsen environmental damage from the spill, with powerful winds and large waves pushing oil deeper into estuaries and wetlands and also depositing more of the pungent, sticky mess on beaches.

As the storm advanced Thursday, people stocked up on water and food in the southern Bahamas and Turks and Caicos, island chains that are well-accustomed to rough weather. Many businesses remained open, but schools were already closed for the summer.