NU Online News Service, June 30, 3:15 p.m. EDT
Tropical storm Alex became the first hurricane of the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season late yesterday and has halted about 25 percent of crude oil production in the Gulf of Mexico and 9 percent of natural-gas output.
AIR Worldwide, a Boston-based catastrophe modeling firm, cited Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement statistics and noted that three rigs and 28 platforms have been evacuated.
AIR said that although Alex is expected to miss major oil production facilities, waves as high as 12 feet are impeding efforts to control damage left by the British Petroleum oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Alex is expected to make landfall south of the Texas and Mexico border within the next 24 hours, according to the global reinsurer Guy Carpenter & Company LLC.
But Alex could still come ashore close to the border of Texas and Mexico, and southern Texas may be hit by hurricane- or tropical storm-force winds, Guy Carpenter said.
Alex is currently a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds near 80 mph, but could reach Category 2 status before making landfall, said catastrophe modeler Risk Management Solutions (RMS).
"Because of very high sea surface temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico and relatively low wind shear, some additional intensification over the next 24 hours is likely," said Peter Daily, director of atmospheric science at AIR.
A state of emergency has been declared in Texas.
In Mexico, catastrophe modeler Risk Management Services (RMS) said hurricane warnings are in place from the mouth of the Rio Grande to La Cruz and tropical storm warnings are in place for the coast of Mexico south of La Cruz to Cabo Rojo.
RMS said Alex is the first June hurricane since 1995. Since 1851, there have only been 31 hurricanes declared on or before June 30.
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