Southeast Gas Shortage
That’s what the sign on my Kangaroo pump said this evening.
I was driving home from class around 10pm tonight, talking on the phone with my mother and noticed that the the two gas stations near her house (one on each corner) had been marked at $3.89 a gallon. Now, I know some of you readers might think that this is inexpensive compared to some places, but hear me out.
These same two gas stations had been marked at a mere $3.66 at 5pm earlier today. And at $3.64 yesterday! That’s right. It jumped over $0.20 in the last 5 hours. So I drove and went back and forth with my mother, each of us expressing our shock at the price jump. My apartment is off the main street at the other end which also has a gas station on the corner. I noticed the price was still only $3.69 so I decided to go ahead and jump on it before it skyrockets by morning. Luckily, my low fuel light had come on so I didn’t feel the need to procrastinate.
I pull up to my pump and notice a sign taped to it saying that the station was encouraging everyone to get only 10 gallons of gas so that there would be enough for many customers. I was thinking, “Wow, intense!” Apparently, the Carolinas along with the rest of the Southeast rely on the Gulf for their fuel. Which is about to be bombarded by Hurricane Ike. And a few of the pipelines in Georgia were damaged already.
As I pumped my gas, I noticed there were already cars lining up waiting to my pump as well as those around me. It was a hassle to get out of there!
I got home, at a light snack with Isaac and told him about the gas station. His car had been on empty also so we decided he should probably load up before morning. Rumors online said prices could be up to well over $4 by morning, even nearing $5 by nightfall- we’d rather not risk that and just get the tank filling out of the way. It was 11:10 when he left.
Isaac just walked in the door a couple of minutes ago and said the gas station, the same one I had been at about 45 minutes before mind you, was all of gas and he had to go up the street to the other gas station.
Insane! Hopefully, a widespread gas shortage panic won’t ensue. I think we have bigger things to concern ourselves with such as our brothers and sisters in Texas.
How are gas prices in your areas?
