Updated 07/23/2010 01:42 PM
Bonnie hits Florida, warning issued for Gulf coast
MIAMI -- Tropical Storm Bonnie has made landfall just south of Miami with top sustained winds of 40 miles per hour.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami said the eye of Bonnie came ashore Friday midday near Cutler Bay, about 20 miles south of Miami. There were no immediate reports of damage from the storm that so far has only spread some rain across South Florida.
The storm was headed over South Florida on a track to cross the Gulf of Mexico near the site of the massive BP oil spill by Sunday.
Work to permanently choke off the oil well is at a standstill after ships around the site were ordered to evacuate ahead of the approaching storm.
There had been worries that the cap that has mostly contained the oil would have to be reopened and left gushing if a major storm came through, but engineers are confident enough in the strength of the cap that they've decided to leave it sealed while most of the ships on the surface were told to leave the area.
Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen and BP officials concede the storm, which is expected to enter the Gulf by the weekend, could delay the push to plug the broken well by 12 days.
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