IncidentNews Home  >>  Incident  >>  Entry

TV Hyde Park

Date: February 27, 1999
  To: NOAA SSC Steve Thumm
  
FROM: NOAA/Hazardous Materials Response Branch
      Modeling and Simulation Studies
      Seattle, WA 98115
      
SUBJECT: T/V Hyde Park Spill

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT GLEN WATABAYASHI,
MODELING AND SIMULATION STUDIES, NOAA, SEATTLE, WA 98115.
PHONE (206) 526-6317.
______________________________________________________
Per your request, we have looked at trajectory implications of the oil that has been
released from the T/V Hyde Park.  These notes are based on the following information:


On February 27, 1999 at about midnight the T/V Hyde Park lost power near river mile #92 on
the Mississippi River.  The ship collided with several other vessels as it moved
downstream.  By the time the vessel was secured at river mile 79, it had lost an estimated
2,000 gallons of #6 fuel oil.  Visual observations at about 0700 CDT reported the leading
edge of the oil at about river mile 62.  It's been reported that the source has been
secured, and the ship is not leaking any more product.


If any of this initial information is incorrect, please let us know ASAP as it would
affect any trajectory implications.

______________________________________________________
1) TRAJECTORY
The river forecast center of the NWS at Slidell estimates that the surface current
downstream of New Orleans is about 4.2 mph today, Saturday, Feb. 27.  The river flow is
expected to decrease and forecasted surface velocities are expected to be about 3.9 mph on
Sunday and Monday.

Winds are expected to be from the south-southwest 10 - 20 knots into Saturday evening,
becoming NW Saturday nite with a frontal passage.

Under these condition we would expect the leading edge of the slick to reach the Head of
Passes area (River mile 0) between 10 PM and midnight, Saturday.  By sunrise on Sunday, we
expect most if not all of the floating oil to have exited the river into the Gulf of
Mexico.