With Hurricane Irma Bearing Down, Florida Gas Stations Run Dry

Gasoline supplies have been tight after Harvey, putting additional pressure on Florida retailers as residents flee the hurricane.

September 08, 2017

MIAMI – Yesterday, Florida gasoline stations started running out of fuel as Hurricane Irma continued to roar toward the Sunshine State, the Wall Street Journal reports. The National Weather Service estimates Irma will slam into Florida on Sunday morning as a Category 4 hurricane. Gov. Rick Scott told residents that Irma could be worse than the destruction caused by Hurricane Andrew a quarter century ago, ABC News reports.

With mandatory evacuations of three counties so far, gasoline stations have been overwhelmed with demand for fuel. Close to 25% of gas stations in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale and the West Palm Beach-Fort Pierce areas are dry, according to GasBuddy. Fort Myers-Naples reported more than 18% of gas stations had no fuel.

This additional strain on the country’s gasoline resources comes days after Hurricane Harvey shut down refineries along the Texas and Louisiana coastlines. This week, those facilities started slowly coming back online. Across the United States, pump prices continue to rise, with the national average inching up 32.8 cents to $2.667 from a week ago.

Florida officials say the state still has fuel, but it’s been difficult to move the gasoline to stations that have run out. “We’re moving as much through the system as fast as possible,” Scott said. “Be considerate of neighbors. Take what you need to evacuate, don’t take extra.”

For more information and at resources on hurricanes, and specifically Hurricane Harvey, visit convenience.org/hurricane. Stay tuned for additional insights as Hurricane Irma continues its path this week.

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