Crist extends emergency to nearly all West Coast coastal counties

Gov. Charlie Crist has just extended the state's emergency declaration to include the coastal counties of Franklin, Wakulla, Jefferson, Taylor, Dixie, Levy, Citrus, Hernando, Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee and Sarasota because of oil spill impact from the Deepwater Horizon disaster. On Friday, Crist had declared a state of emergency for six Panhandle coastal counties.

"As the oil continues to spill from the well and all efforts to stop the discharge have failed and may not suceed for an extended period of time, more Florida counties could be affected,'' Crist wrote in his executive order.