BP halts Gulf evacuation as storm weakens

BP’s evacuation of the Gulf of Mexico was today called off and ships were heading back to the site of its damaged well.

Tropical Storm Bonnie weakened as it moved over the spill, after coming ashore yesterday near Cutler Bay, about 20 miles south of Miami.

Cameras that have given a constant view of the well apparently never stopped rolling and the mechanical cap that has mostly contained the oil from the Deep Horizon rig for eight days appeared to hold.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the storm surge could push more oil onto the shoreline. But it could pull away oil from other areas.

And it may help dissipate the oil in the water, spreading out the surface slick and breaking up tar balls.