# Is Oily Rain Possible?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-oily-rain-possible/542717
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [June 10, 2010, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-oily-rain-possible/542717 "2010-06-10T23:26:27Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)
#### Post date: [June 10, 2010, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-oily-rain-possible/542717/1 "2010-06-10T23:26:27Z")
I am wondering if in light of the BP oil spill in the Gulf if oil can be evaporated along with water to form oily rain droplets.
From what I’ve gathered in a brief internet search, it sounds like oil doesn’t condensate like water does so it can’t do this, also that there’s been some testing that shows that oil would in fact slow down evaporation of water and possibly effect Midwestern rainfall amounts (in theory).
Googling “is oily rain possible” does lead to a couple forums with pictures from someone claiming they collected oily rain in Texas (in Steak and Shake cups, no less!), but it looks like bullshit.
What’s the Dope on the potential for oily rain?
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### Author:  [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2010, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-oily-rain-possible/542717/2 "2010-06-11T00:15:59Z")
I have been wondering about a bad Sci-Fi movie scenario myself, maybe with Judd Nelson and Lorenzo Lamas.
It is now hurricane season in the gulf, imagine if oily water gets picked up and somehow set ablaze by lightning. The ensuing firestorm would be immense.
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### Author:  [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2010, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-oily-rain-possible/542717/3 "2010-06-11T00:29:27Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#):
>
> I have been wondering about a bad Sci-Fi movie scenario myself, maybe with Judd Nelson and Lorenzo Lamas.
>
> It is now hurricane season in the gulf, imagine if oily water gets picked up and somehow set ablaze by lightning. The ensuing firestorm would be immense.
[Relevant XKCD comic.](http://xkcd.com/748/)
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### Author:  [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2010, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-oily-rain-possible/542717/4 "2010-06-11T00:41:13Z")
Everything I’ve read online seems to indicate that the effects of a hurricane upon oily seawater (which, given the situation, is a likely scenario given the seasonal timing of this spill) would mostly be from the storm surge carrying the oil deeper inland than it normally would. How disastrous that would be is certainly debatable.
I hadn’t thought of the lightning angle, though I suspect with water underneath it and water from a hurricane pouring down on top of it that it would be either impossible or a short-lived conflagration. It wouldn’t be like a water-resistant electrical fire, for instance. Although oil fires in say, a cooking vessel do flare up with water, so maybe I just don’t know for sure.
My question was more directed at the possibility of oil being evaporated into rainwater, much like acid rain is formed (though I realize that acid rain is formed by chemical emissions in the _air_, rather than from evaporation).
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### Author:  [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2010, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-oily-rain-possible/542717/5 "2010-06-11T01:47:38Z")
A related question would be if the chemical dispersants used can be picked up by evaporation and spread by rain, and their effects.
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### Author:  [@Precambrianmollusc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Precambrianmollusc)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2010, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-oily-rain-possible/542717/6 "2010-06-11T02:00:55Z")
The National Hurricane Center has a useful FAQ sheet that answers many of these questions
> **[hurricanes\_oil\_factsheet.pdf](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/hurricanes_oil_factsheet.pdf)**
>
> 1322.82 KB
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### Author:  [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2010, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-oily-rain-possible/542717/7 "2010-06-11T02:56:48Z")
> [@Precambrianmollusc](#):
>
> The National Hurricane Center has a useful FAQ sheet that answers many of these questions
>
> [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/hurricanes\_oil\_factsheet.pdf](http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/hurricanes_oil_factsheet.pdf)
Interesting…thanks!
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### Author:  [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2010, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-oily-rain-possible/542717/8 "2010-06-11T04:16:43Z")
Along with the NHC fact sheet I recommend reading [this article](http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=1492) by Jeff Masters (Weather Underground).
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### Author:  [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2010, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-oily-rain-possible/542717/9 "2010-06-11T12:41:25Z")
> [@NinetyWt](#):
>
> Along with the NHC fact sheet I recommend reading [this article](http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=1492) by Jeff Masters (Weather Underground).
That’s a good read, thanks. Its a bit sobering too, especially that last part about the understatement of the daily spill estimates. Over 90,000 barrels per day? Yikes.
Also, great Username/Thread question combo!
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### Author:  [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2010, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-oily-rain-possible/542717/10 "2010-06-11T13:43:59Z")
When I lived on the coast homes and cars often got covered with a fine salt mist due to an offshore wind.
I wondered if there is going to be a similar problem of a fine oil mist blowing onto homes/cars on the coast.
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### Author:  [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)
#### Post date: [June 11, 2010, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-oily-rain-possible/542717/11 "2010-06-11T13:47:23Z")
It appears as if it could happen (oil picked up by wind), if the hurricane passed through oily water, according to what I’ve read.