Approximately two thousand fuel stations across Florida currently lack fuel.
Florida's gas stations are swamped with lengthy queues. The meteorological fury of Hurricane "Milton" sparking an escalated need for fuel in the state, is causing prices to soar dramatically: approximately 25% of the stations are dry. Governor DeSantis advises against succumbing to panic buying.
Hurricane "Milton" made landfall on Florida's west coast with force, bringing wind speeds up to 195 kilometers per hour and torrential downpours. It now targets Tampa Bay area, a hub for over three million inhabitants. The storm has triggered an intense surge in gasoline demand, leaving about 25% of gas stations devoid of fuel.
As per "CNN", the gasoline stock tracking service GasBuddy reports a 24.3% scarcity of fuel at gas stations across the state. On Monday, only 3% of the stations reported running out. This means that more than 1,900 of Florida's 7,900 gas stations are currently gasoline deficient.
The scenario is particularly gloomy in coastal regions under evacuation orders. In the Fort Myers-Naples region, 36.6% of the gas stations are dried up, with over one in three stations empty. Further up north, the situation is even grimmer: 44% of gas stations in the Sarasota area and 62% in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area, approximately two out of three, are gasoline deprived. Even inland, there are shortages: over 28% of gas stations in the Orlando-Jacksonville region are devoid of gasoline.
Simultaneously, the sudden increase in U.S. fuel demand due to Hurricane "Milton" and apprehensions of disruptions in supply are driving up oil prices. U.S. oil WTI and North Sea oil Brent both climbed by 0.8% to $73.84 and $77.18 per barrel, respectively.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis pleads with residents to restrain from panic buying, indicating that this will only intensify the shortage. In a press conference, DeSantis reassured that the state is working on supplying gas stations that have run out with emergency reserves. Florida has emergency stashes of 110,000 gallons (416,395 liters) of gasoline and 268,000 gallons (1,014,490 liters) of diesel fuel, though these reserves have seen a slight decrease. Presently, 1.2 million gallons of both fuels are en route to Florida. "There is no fuel scarcity. The state of Florida will persistently be supplied with fuel. But the lines at gas stations are long, and the stations are losing fuel faster than usual," CNN quotes DeSantis.
Experts predict that the situation may persist even after the storm subsides. If the Tampa port gets damaged, there will be no means to bring gasoline into the state through it.
As per "CNN", energy analyst Tom Kloza comments, "The port of Tampa is essential for providing much of the state. It's one of the most important aspects of the fuel infrastructure in the nation." The port is currently closed due to the storm. The extent of the hurricane and storm surge's damage to the port is still uncertain.
In response to Hurricane "Milton," many residents in the United States of America are experiencing fuel shortages in Florida, particularly in coastal regions. The Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, has urged residents not to engage in panic buying, as this exacerbates the situation.
