GULF SHORES, Ala. (WIAT) Wednesday marks the one year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill: a horrific disaster that literally changed the face and spirit of the communities along the Alabama coast.

While much of the oil mess has been cleaned up, the financial mess is still far from being settled.

Hundreds of property and businesses owners continue to wait for BP to honor their word.

The water is beautiful the beaches are clean but the businesses down at the Gulf are still struggling everyday just to survive.

Coastal residents feel BP has not honored their promise to make the community whole again, instead of BP giving checks out to residents and business owners quickly, many feel BP is dragging their feet intentionally to put Gulf coast residents in a financial bind so they agree to lump sum settlements that would let BP off the hook for future lawsuits and claims.

People who have received money say the process was so difficult that they were already in debt by the time the money arrived.  Add that to the lack of tourists last year and some people have crumbled under the pressure of the oil spill making state leaders furious.