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Communities on Florida’s Gulf Coast are organizing clean up efforts in preparation of oil reaching their beaches. While clean up crews wait and pray, fishermen are catching as much as they can. As Whitney Ray tells us, the uncertainty has thousands of them fearing for their future.

The harvest is on to boat as many oysters as possible in case oil floods the Apalachicola Bay smothering oyster beds. Shrimpers like Elmer Clark are in the same boat.

“We are doing everything we can to catch everything we can,” said Clark.

Oysterman Toby Dalton is taking a different approach. Instead of kicking his operation into overdrive, he’s helping emergency workers lay boom in the bay.

“I could have went out today and made 150 dollars but I’m giving that up, not worrying about that to try and get this diverted. I’ve bills to pay just like anybody else, but right now this is more important,” said Dalton.

The oil in the Gulf is still days away from Apalachicola, but it’s already hurting seafood distributors. Oyster harvesting has stopped in Louisiana, driving up the price.

“We not getting in what we need to be able to send them out, plus the price is up out there which makes it more here,” said Bobby Hill with Water Street Seafood.

It’s not just the seafood industry paying the price; people from all around the world are cancelling their Florida vacations which is costing rental companies, restaurants, and souvenir shops millions of dollars.

The question on everyone’s mind; how long until Florida’s tide stops bringing in fresh ocean water, and starts washing up oil?

Changing winds have now pushed the oil slick 60 miles from Escambia County’s coastline. If the weather holds the oil may not make landfall in Florida until next week.

More than 11 thousand people have logged on to the state’s tourism web site to check on the oil spill since this past weekend. Hundreds more are calling. As Mike Vasilinda tells us, the state is in the unenviable position of telling people we don’t know yet.

In its first full day of operation, the Florida emergency Information hotline was fielding a call every three minutes.

“They’re concerned about their vacationing plans,” phone volunteer Holly Jane Aldrige said.

Since it became operational over the weekend, 11 thousand people have clicked on the state’s tourism website for news about the oil spill. So far the answer they have received is that Florida is open for business, but check back.

“We don’t know what the effects are going to be, so there are people who are concerned,” Will Setcombe with Visit Florida said. “Our goal is to try to make sure that they get answers from a trusted source, the official source of information for travel to the sunshine state.”

Last year 80 million people spent 60 billion dollars in Florida.

Visit Florida says that for every 85 people who don’t come to Florida, perhaps to buy gas, one job will be lost.

Fish and oysters in Florida waters have not been affected, yet.

“We are scared to death that the spill will come into the areas where we fish and besides that, come into the bays,” Bob Jones with Southeast Fisheries said. “If it comes into Apalachicola Bay, that’s the entire oyster industry.”

Some charters are reporting a 40 percent drop in bookings. For now, tourism and coastal-based business are holding their breath, hoping for the best and preparing for the worst.

Local officials are asking that a representative from FEMA, British Petroleum and Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection be available in counties up and down the Gulf Coast.

Hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil gushing from a damaged well are headed toward Florida’s beaches and there’s nothing to stop it. Just 15 miles of protective boom has been placed in the water near sensitive areas, but there’s little faith the barrier will hold. As Whitney Ray tells us, the state was never prepared for a disaster of this magnitude… an oil disaster many say will be the worst in US history.

The future of Florida’s gulf coast is in Mother Nature’s hands. The state wasn’t prepared for an oil disaster as massive as the one wind and currents could wash ashore on Florida’s beaches.

Federal law requires oil companies to keep resources on hand to respond to a disaster. Governor Charlie Crist isn’t pleased with BP’s plan.

“I have a significant concern that the party that created the problem is now the party responsible for solving the problem. I get that. That’s why I’m here,” said Crist.

The state, in conjunction with BP, only has 15 miles of boom, enough protective barrier to keep oil from a tanker spill at bay, but not enough to stop the hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil headed towards Florida’s beaches

Florida’s Secretary of the Department Environmental Protection, Mike Sole, says the boom won’t hold long.

“They are not failsafe and in fact they are prone to failing. A one knot current can cause product to either go under a boom or over a boom, a little bit of chop will no longer allow that boom to be successful,” said Sole.

Monday Governor Charlie Crist extended the state of emergency declaration south to Sarasota County. The Emergency Operation Center is in a partial activation mode.

The state if focusing on clean up efforts that will be needed once the oil makes landfall, while BP and the feds look for ways to stop the leak. As of noon Monday the oil slick was just 50 miles from Pensacola. 200-thousands gallons of oil is pouring out of the hole each day.

BP is paying for Florida’s clean up efforts and the state’s Attorney General says litigation is likely to come to recoup some of the economical losses the state might suffer from the damage.

Right to File Suit

People living or working on the gulf coast need to be wary of scam artists promising in advance to clean oil off their property. Florida’s Attorney General Bill McCollum issued the warning this morning. He says property owners also need to be careful not to sign away their right to sue BP.

“Please do not sign waivers. If somebody approaches you and says ‘waive your claim, make us harmless, we’ll clean this up for you’ don’t do that. And also don’t buy into just anybody who says we’ll clean something up for you. They may be scamming you,” said McCollum.

McCollum says a lawsuit is likely to follow the disaster once damages are figured, but doesn’t want to focus on the litigation while Florida is in a state of emergency.

Eight law enforcement officers who lost their lives protecting Floridians were honored today at the state capitol.

Their families along with hundreds of officers from around the state stood in honor of the fallen today at the 28th annual Fallen Officers’ Memorial. The memorial ceremony is held every year to honor those killed during the previous year. Governor Charlie Crist spoke to the families of the officers killed on the job.

“It’s a privilege and an honor to be able to be here and I just want to express my great gratitude to not only those who serve in law enforcement but their families that give them the privilege and the opportunity to do so,” said Crist.

Families of the officers were given plaques with their family member’s badge and an American flag inside.