Hurricane Milton drives gas shortage in Florida as residents flee storm
Floridians in the path of Hurricane Milton are facing gas shortages as thousands of residents attempt to flee to safer locations on Tuesday.
As traffic crawled on Interstate 75 out of Tampa and Orlando, some gas stations in the areas had run out of gas, and it was unknown when new fuel deliveries would arrive.
At a Mobil station in Winter Springs, a suburb of Orlando, a clerk inside told Fox Business Digital that the owner said their pumps went dry on Monday evening.
The clerk said that more fuel was supposed to have already been delivered, but no gasoline had arrived as of Tuesday morning.
Fuel also ran out at gas stations in The Villages, a 55-plus community northwest of Orlando, according to Villages News.
I-75 northbound was bumper to bumper, with traffic snarls stretching for miles on Monday afternoon as Floridians and visitors attempted to drive out of the storm’s projected path.
Traffic continued to clog the main arteries out of the hurricane’s path on Tuesday.
Lipow Oil Associates president Andrew Lipow said one of the storm’s greatest impacts will be felt in the logistics and distribution of gasoline and diesel, especially in the Tampa and Orlando areas.
Ten gas companies operate in the terminals along the waterfront in Tampa, including BP, Chevron and Citgo, Lipow said. These facilities could sustain significant damage from the storm, including flooding and power outages that could impact their ability to distribute gasoline and diesel to the areas.
Lipow said before fuel deliveries can resume, workers will have to return, including Coast Guard, terminal operators and truck drivers. Terminals must also be inspected, and any damage fixed.