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Many Escambia Stations Out Of Gas; AL Prices Up
September 14, 2008
Due to Hurricane Ike, many Escambia gas stations were out of gas Saturday night, or had only one grade available. Prices in Alabama, meanwhile, are soaring to near the $4 mark for regular unleaded.
Gas station after gas station in Pensacola had empty price signs and bags over pump handles. At the Tom Thumb on Airport Boulevard in Pensacola, only regular unleaded was available at $3.63 a gallon. At a Tom Thumb on Nine Mile Road, only diesel was available Saturday night; the station was out of all grades of gas. There was a similar across Pensacola Saturday night.
Most North Escambia stations had gas Saturday night. Prices ranged from $3.69 at the Tom Thumb in Molino, where all grades were still available, to $3.75 in Century. In Davisville, a gallon of regular unleaded was $3.69.
Across the state line in Alabama, the gas story is a bit different. Many stations have gas, but the price has spiked. At a station in Atmore, regular unleaded was at $3.89 a gallon. In Flomaton, one station was at $3.99 a gallon on Saturday. A station in Brewton, Alabama, was reported to be selling a gallon of regular unleaded at $4.65 per gallon.
Why the problems? Hurricane Ike is the simple answer, industry officials say.
In Texas, 13 of 26 major refineries are shut down. Add in increased demand from people that decided to top off their tanks and a few extra containers because a hurricane was in the Gulf, and you get an increased demand adding to the diminished supply.
Florida Governor Charlie Crist issued a statement assuring Floridians that our gas supply is adequate in the wake of Ike.
“Our supply is good, based on the projected demand from consumers. If stations do not have fuel, it is not due to the lack of supply, but because of a temporary increase in demand,” Crist said.
Meanwhile, as prices in Florida continue to rise as high as $5 a gallon in some place, the state’s attorney general says price gouging complaints are pouring in.
“Investigators with my Economic Crimes Division are reviewing the 261 complaints we have received about gasoline price gouging in multiple locations throughout the state,” Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum said Saturday night.”
Pictured above: The Tom Thumb in Molino had all grades of gas available Saturday night. Regular unleaded was $3.69 per gallon. NorthEscambia.com photo.
“Our investigations will continue, and I encourage Floridians to stay vigilant and keep reporting complaints to my office. This information from consumers is essential to our investigators as they work to ensure businesses are not taking advantage of our consumers. Price gouging should be reported to my hotline, 1-866-966-7226,” McCollum said.\
Comments
One Response to “Many Escambia Stations Out Of Gas; AL Prices Up”
All Tom Thumbs are out, not because of the hurricane, all the other stores have fuel. Tom Thumb lost supplier