GulfCast Ep. 12 - The Psychological Impacts of an Oil Spill

“When the explosion of the Deep Water Horizon rig occurred we were all in shock. We all saw the horrific pictures. We all thought and prayed for the families of the crew members on the rig. We were dealing with so many unknowns.” — Herb Malone, Gulf Shores, Alabama

Watermen, oil field workers, and those dependent upon tourism for their livelihood still struggle with anger and anxiety six years after the Deepwater Horizon explosion. For generations, these Gulf residents have rebounded quickly from natural disasters. For the first time in their lives, they were faced with a great unknown: a man-made disaster – the largest oil spill in U.S. history.

The lingering environmental ramifications of the spill have lead to depression, substance abuse, divorce, and even suicide within the impacted communities.

Featuring Herb Malone (Gulf Shores Tourism Board), Wayne Keller (Port Commission – Grand Isle, LA), Tony Kennon (Mayor – Orange Beach, AL), Sandy Nguyen (Coastal Communities Consulting), Thomas Dardar, Jr. (Principal Chief – United Houma Nation), Bette Billiot (United Houma Nation), David Chauvin (Waterman – DuLac, LA), and Steven Picou (University of South Alabama).