A storm churning in the Gulf of Mexico is less organized than forecasters expected but still causing problems for oil spill cleanup operations.

Tropical Depression #5 could become Tropical Storm Danielle if it strengthens further.  Wind speeds are in the 30 mph range.  National Weather Service Forecasters say it’s bringing heavy rain and most likely a small 1-3 foot storm surge to the Gulf Coast, currently on a path to hit just east of Plaquemines Parish, LA around Midnight Wednesday.

The storm forced engineers to suspend drilling of the relief well with just 30 feet to go, delaying the so-called “bottom kill” when mud and cement will be pumped into the broken Macondo well to permanently seal it.  A temporary plug has been fitted in the relief well and drilling will resume when the storm passes.  Workers were not forced back to shore so the job can resume more quickly.

Cleanup operations have also been affected.  Absorbent boom is being pulled from the water so it isn’t dislodged by the storm and tossed onto sensitive marshes and any skimmer ships still in the water will have to head to shore because of rougher seas.

Random fact: At the National Weather Service office in Slidell, Louisiana an Emergency Response Meteorologist Desk has been staffed 24/7 since April, offering forecasts specifically for the latitude and longitude of the Deepwater Horizon spill site, issuing 3500 forecasts for oil spill responders.  This is a new record for “spot forecasts.” The old record was 1300 for year-long fires in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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Late this afternoon the National Hurricane Center in Miami issued its final advisory on Tropical Depression 5, saying it dissipated and the Tropical Storm Warnings have been lifted.  Forecasters say there is still the potential for heavy rainfall of 3-5 inches or more overnight Wednesday thru Friday morning in SE Louisiana and SW Mississippi and winds could still gust to 30 mph or more but fortunately for Gulf Coast residents conditions were not ripe for this particular storm to strengthen.