Hurricane Milton causing gas shortages in Florida as residents evacuate storm
FILE-Residents purchase fuel at a gas station ahead of Hurricane Milton's expected landfall in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. (Tristan Wheelock/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Residents evacuating the Florida area as Hurricane Milton approaches are dealing with gas shortages.
With cars packing Interstate 75 out of Tampa and Orlando, FOX Business reported that some gas stations in those locales ran out of gas and there is no timeline given to the stations of when a new supply of fuel would be delivered to accommodate customers. Two gas stations ran out of fuel, one in Orlando and the other in The Villages, a community northwest of Orlando.
According to FOX Business, 10 gas companies operating in the terminals along the waterfront in Tampa, Florida, including BP, Chevron and Citgo, could be affected by damage from Hurricane Milton, including flooding and power outages hindering their ability to distribute gas and diesel fuel to the areas.
How fast do gas stations run out of fuel before they replenish the supply?
Gas shortages during hurricanes are not uncommon based on data in a new report from GasBuddy, a smartphone app that helps consumers save money on gas by providing information about affordable gas prices at stations nationwide.
Researchers looked at gas shortages before the hurricanes and after the storms made landfall.
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The report details the highest impacted areas of Hurricanes Irma (September 2017), Florence (September 2018) and Michael (October 2019), including Gainesville, Florida (Hurricane Irma), Wilmington, North Carolina (Hurricane Florence) and Panama City, Florida (Hurricane Michael), examining the percentage of fuel outages reported in each area.
According to the report, gas station shortages were reported shortly after emergencies were declared for Hurricanes Florence and Michael. Almost 20% of gas stations in Gainesville reported they were out of gas before an emergency was declared as Florida residents evacuated their communities as Hurricane Irma approached.
Gas Buddy noted in their study that Hurricanes Florence and Irma follow a similar demand pattern, with gas station outages occurring 1-3 days after the storms made landfall.
Meanwhile, the report finds that Hurricane Michael’s number of gas station outages continued to spike until five days after the storm hit, remaining at 62% gas stations reporting fuel shortages until eight days after the hurricane made landfall.
Refueling efforts varied after the hurricanes devastated the communities. After Hurricane Irma refueling efforts affected Gainesville after the storm passed, with Hurricane Florence having a similar impact.
According to the study, refueling efforts for Hurricane Michael were longer based on the damage from the storm in Panama City. Twenty percent of gas stations were reported without fuel 17 days after the storm hit land.
What can I do if I am impacted by Hurricane Milton and need gas?
Residents in hurricane-affected areas should avoid hoarding gas and report fuel outages.
Gas Buddy notes that if you are evacuating an area or staying home, consumers should buy enough gas to fill their tank but should not fill up extra containers with fuel.
In extreme conditions, gas station fuel outages are replenished four days after a hurricane makes landfall.
If you experience a fuel outage, drivers should report it in the GasBuddy app, which helps other drivers evacuate safely, while notifying local government agencies where they should send fuel trucks before and after a hurricane.