This story is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.
The Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico five years ago today, killing 11 men and sending nearly 5 million barrels of oil into the sea. After the well was finally plugged, the national media went home, but the story is still very much unfolding everywhere from federal courtrooms to Louisiana backyards.
Let’s have a look back at the nation’s worst-ever oil spill, by the numbers:
Tim McDonnell
Icon credits (via Noun Project unless otherwise noted): Oil barrel — Marco Hernandez; leaky pipe — Evan Udelsman; airplane — Luis Prado; boat — Kevin Chu; cash — Natalie Clay; eviction — Luis Prado; money paper — Alex Tai; pelican — Jennifer Gamboa; birds — Joe Looney; dolphins — Matthew Hall; oil spill — Andrew Hainen; permit — Luis Prado; oil rig — Patrick Trouvé; tourist — Jerald Kohrs; oyster — RedKoala/Shutterstock
