President Barack Obama visited the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday to assess damage from the BP oil spill.

Obama called the spill "a massive and potentially unprecedented environmental disaster," The Washington Post reported. He said BP America will pay for cleanup costs.

The incident began on April 20 when a floating rig exploded, overturned and sank about 42 miles off-shore, leading to the deaths of 11 people. The oil slick is closest to Louisiana but appears to be drifting toward Alabama and Florida, The New York Times reported.

"The best-case scenario: It gets stopped today. Worst-case scenario: This thing could keep going on for 90 days," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said on a talk show, the Post reported.

Get the Story:
Officials' forecast grim about massive oil spill as Obama tours part of the Gulf Coast (The Washington Post 5/3)
BP Moves to Fix a Leak as Obama Warns of Damage (The New York Times 5/3)