The three coastal counties of Mississippi are preparing for the arrival of Tropical Storm Bonnie and perhaps an abundance of oil that may be pushed towards their white sands beaches.

Mississippi governor Haley Barbour declared a state of emergency in the area early Friday.  There is a growing fear that the pending storm surge may push oil from the Deep Sea Horizon oil spill into areas of land that have yet to be affected.

Tropical Storm Bonnie was located at the southern tip of Florida Friday afternoon with sustained winds of 40 miles per hour.  The storm is expected to strengthen as it reaches the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Storm trackers are predicting that the storm will make landfall between the Mississippi-Louisiana border, putting the Mississippi Gulf Coast in the northeast quadrant of the storm, which make it most vulnerable to storm surges and potential flooding.

“Residents can expect to see strong winds, heavy rain and possible storm surge as expected with any tropical disturbance; however this storm poses a unique challenge with the oil spill. We may see oil come onshore and impact areas that have been previously unaffected by the spill. We have state agencies ready to respond to any storm or oil damage as quickly as possible,” Barbour said in a statement.

Local officials will decide today whether or not declare local emergencies.