Reports are now beginning to surface in higher numbers about the dangers of oil rain along the Gulf Coast.

Some have argued that clouds could not possibly carry oil and then drop that oil as rain. In Oil Hurricanes May Cause Toxic Rain and Food Security Issues it was pointed out that this was a distinct possibility.

We now have video confirmation that oil is, in fact, dropping out of the sky in Louisiana:

Reports are also suggesting that something, though it has not yet been confirmed exactly what, is causing plants and animals to die around the Mississippi River bottoms. Though it is currently being labeled a “mysterious plague,” we would venture to guess that it is likely being caused by toxic oil and/or the Corexit 9500 oil dispersant:

It is now becoming evident that in addition to the economic, ecological and environmental impact, we may very well have a food and water security issue resulting from the BP oil rig explosion.

Toxic rains coupled with toxic fumes could pose significant dangers to residents along the gulf coast. The rains could prove to be even more dangerous, as they could potentially destroy crops hundreds of miles to the north of the shore. Thus, we are not only losing roughly 30% of domestic seafood production, but the possibility of large scale crop failures.

In addition, most water companies provide city water via open reservoirs. If the rains are toxic with oil and dispersant, we could be looking at polluted drinking water supplies, and unfortunately, boiling the water may not help. It is not yet known if standard water purification systems used by most cities will be able to appropriately clean the water.