because if it is like that....the aquatic and amphibion populations are going to take one hell of a beating. And a bunch of the reptiles. The birds. Actually everything.

Species extinction. Rippling effects. Buy bug repellant while you still can.

OK so the stuff is water-solluble. But it has to have some pretty unique properties to both evaporate AND RECONDENSE with water vapor in the atmo.

If it does that, ho man, we're talking about some nasty shit.

No, seriously. It could be drift from aerially sprayed oil dispersant. There was a story posted here about it last week, in it a homeowner said they were spraying solvents over waterfront area where his house is. Corexit is more solvent than oil, but it would put a sheen on a puddle. It would smell a little more like contact cement or paint thinner than oil, but...that's not such a big discrepancy...it's a possible explanation. I don't have any explanations whatsoever for a crude oil rain that doesn't involve enormous water-spouts and massive storms.

Well, what is it really? Might we assume this stuff somehow evaporated and recondensed and precipitated in the atmosphere?

Generally, only water does that.

Now a raindrop or especially a snowflake will handily absorb stuff that's suspended in the atmosphere like smog (particulate pollusion) but not heavy crude oil. Not in the past.

So somebody might explain what might be happening here but it ain't me.

Nothing to worry about, sir, it's not oil, it's aerially dispersed Corexit. It's good for you sir. It makes you smarter.