AccuWeather.com

By Henry Margusity, Expert Senior Meteorologist

Jun 3, 2010; 7:26 AM ET

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Kate Bilo discusses storm surges in her latest Weather Whys video.

Areas of the central Gulf Coast are at a greater risk for oil spill contamination from a tropical storm or hurricane this season.

The corridor of tropical storm tracks is set to shift through the Gulf of Mexico during the 2010 Atlantic Hurricane Season, which began June 1.

The sunken rig continues to spew oil, and as hurricane season ramps up, the risk for further coastal oil contamination is also increased. If the oil makes it far enough inland, water supplies and buildings along the Gulf have the potential to be impacted.

Oil also has the potential to be pushed farther into the Louisiana Delta and into the natural wildlife reserves along the Gulf Coast.

Many factors need to be considered when predicting what areas could be contaminated by oil. The strength of the tropical storm or hurricane and the exact path of the storm will both determine the spread of the oil and even how much of the oil will be mixed with the water in the Gulf.

The storm surge created by the hurricane or tropical event will also determine how far inland the oil contamination will occur. A hurricane like Katrina, a Category 3 storm, had a storm surge that reached 12 miles in parts of Mississippi.

Accuweather.com Chief Hurricane Meteorologist Joe Bastardi is forecasting 16-18 tropical systems this season. Bastardi has also taken a look at the possible storm tracks through the Gulf of Mexico.

During the early part of the season, or between July 15 and Sept. 15, storms may track out of the Caribbean through the central part of the Gulf of Mexico.

This will put the Louisiana Delta to the far western tip of the Florida Peninsula in the greatest threat zone for oil contamination.

As the season reaches its later stage, storms may develop in the southern Gulf of Mexico and move northeast into the eastern part of the Gulf of Mexico.

The Louisiana Delta to all of the Florida Panhandle beaches will be in the greatest threat zone for oil contamination during this stage.

One thing is for certain, the breeding ground of tropical storms and hurricanes will be far from the origination of the oil spill.

Because of this, the oil on the surface of the Gulf of Mexico will have little effect on the development and strength of the storm.

Prior to July 15, there could be at least one tropical storm or hurricane that develops, but this storm is more likely to occur in the Caribbean.