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SPILL launched their fleet of skimmer boats. Ultimately, more than 2,000 personnel responded to the spill and 30 miles of boom were deployed to contain and redirect the spread of the oil. The exact amount spilled is unknown, but estimates put the figure at roughly 260,000 gallons. Luckily, no one was injured in the collision, but the silty brown river that Mark Twain called majectic and magnificent would be marred for months by the oily rainbow that floated on its surface and clung to its banks. It was a dark omen for New Orleans and the rest of the Gulf. More Trouble Brews By PA3 Thomas Atkeson, 8th Dist. A month later, while crews were still focused on the spill in New Orleans, a string of powerful storms forming in the Atlantic took aim at the Gulf. Tropical Storm Fay appeared over the Dominican Republic and was predicted to make landfall as a hurricane somewhere between the Mississippi River and the Florida Keys. But the storm never had the chance to intensify over the warm loop current of the Gulf that fueled the big hurricanes there in the past. Instead, Fay zigzagged northward over Florida without much fanfare. At the same time, Hurricane Gustav was forming south of Haiti, looking to take a similar path to the north, with little chance for major intensification. But hurricane watchers woke to a surprise the morning after Gustav struck Haiti. It had made an unexpected u-turn to the south. In the following 24 hours it became clear that Gustav was setting up for a hit on the Gulf Coast. Forecasters began making predictions that it would make landfall somewhere on the Louisiana or Mississippi coast as a major hurricane. In the back of everyone’s mind was Katrina. Was this a repeat? “I don’t know. Everyone was expecting the worst. It was supposed to be a category-four,” said BM3 Laura Bostwick, a coxswain at Station New Orleans. Either way, officials could do nothing to keep the storm from coming but everyone was poised to minimize its damage. While Gustav was still roiling south of Cuba, almost a week away from a U.S. landfall, planners were already collaborating. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin began voluntary evacuations. State officials were publishing plans that included a one-way traffic flow on most major highways away from the coasts. The federal government was already laying out logistics for after landfall, including the Coast Guard, which also had extensive post-landfall plans in place. Vice Adm. Robert Papp, commander of Atlantic Area, and his field commanders were given unprecedented autonomy to respond to the impending crisis. The 8th District and nearby sectors were ready to move the watch and operational coordination as far away as St. Louis. Cutters made their way up the Mississippi River to Baton Rogue escorting and taking operational control of a fleet of 41-foot utility boats from stations throughout Louisiana. The smaller 25-foot response boats were trailered and positioned for quick action. On Aug. 30, Gustav slammed into Down the ROad Lt. j.g. Dan McQuate inspects metal barrels for potential pollution in Terrabonne Parish, La., Sept. 3, 2008. Photo by PA3 Etta Smith, 1st Dist. 28 Coast Guard — Issue 2, 2008 Did you know? Gustav tied the record for fastest forming hurricane when it went from tropical depression to hurricane in 14 hours.