Tampa, Florida had an oil spill in 1993. A tanker barge collided with a ship, there was a huge fire, and oil went all over the Bay and Gulf beaches. The difference: the oil was only 300,000 gallons of refined oil. The black tide headed our way is crude oil. According to Channel 13 in Tampa, "In 1993, a barge carrying oil and fuel collided with two other ships in Tampa Bay. It set off an inferno of fire and black smoke, and spilled more than 300,000 gallons of oil and fuel into the Bay. Here is a look at how that spill happened, and what the beaches looked like afterward."
Tar balls hit the beaches, mineral spirits, and rags became standard equipment to clean tar off of feet and shoes that had the misfortune of stepping on them during a sunset stroll on the beach. The Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary was a busy place. Do you remember that? If not, here is a video reminder.
Fast Forward to the 2010 Gulf oil disaster and realize that communities that may be impacted are: Tierra Verde, North Redington Beach, Belleair Beach, Belleair Bluffs, Belleair Shore, Redington Beach, Clearwater, Redington Shores, Dunedin, Safety Harbor, Gulfport, St. Pete Beach, Indian Rocks Beach, St. Petersburg, Indian Shores, Tarpon Springs, Madeira Beach, and Treasure Island.