From the Houston Chronicle
As floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey recede, motorists are returning to streets to realize there are potentially widespread gasoline shortages in Houston, Dallas and San Antonio.
Regional fuel prices could spike by 50 cents a gallon in the coming days – and perhaps 40 cents nationally – after Harvey forced more than 20 percent of the nation’s oil refining capacity offline along the Texas Gulf Coast, said Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy.
The massive Colonial Pipeline, which carries fuel from Houston to much of the Southeast and East Coast, shut down early Thursday as well.
Fuel shortages and price spikes may mean long lines at pumps and likely searching for stations that still have fuel, DeHaan said. These problems may last for a month, and possibly longer, as it takes weeks for the region’s major refineries to return to full capacity. Some Louisiana refineries that are still operating already are tapping into the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve for oil supplies.
“It’s the worst-possible scenario,” he said. “It’s beyond even my worst-case concerns.”
Everyone panicking and rushing to fill their tanks, however, will only exacerbate the problems, he said. The problems will be only temporary.
“I don’t think motorists realize the power is in their hands. Patience is a virtue. Motorists are going to have to wait for supplies and prices to return to normal. Try to buy only what you need,” DeHaan said.
The shortages are real in Houston because so many stations and refineries are offline, but the panic is creating larger problems than necessary, he said.
For instance, the League City Police Department put out a statement Thursday warning that citizens in the heavily flooded city should stay home.
“Officers are advising there is no gas available and recommending that citizens stay home and do not waste gas. Stations are unsure when supplies will be available,” the department said.
Outside of the Houston area, and in Dallas especially, gas stations are running out of fuel as motorists scramble to fill their tanks ahead of the Labor Day weekend.
Haley Gonzalez, who lives north of Dallas in The Colony, said she visited several stations in search of fuel before finding it in Plano, a northern suburb. Even then, she could only fill about half of her tank before the pump went dry.
“It’s insane,” said Gonzalez, 23. “It’s wild that we’re directly affected by something like this so soon.”
People were waiting at least 30 minutes to pump, only to end up buying premium fuel after regular ran out. Dallas fuel prices have surged almost 30 cents a gallon since before Harvey made landfall.
Gonzalez and her friends were planning a short Labor Day weekend vacation to Lake Texoma, about 75 miles away. That’s now changed.
“We’re having to think way more local,” she said.
