Florida gas stations are already running out of fuel. Hurricane Milton could cause even more trouble

Gas stations in many areas of Florida are running out of gasoline, as residents prepare for Hurricane Milton.

Gas stations in many areas of Florida are running out of gasoline, as residents prepare for Hurricane Milton. Demand for gas has surged as some residents in Milton’s path are trying to fuel up before they evacuate. Others who plan to stay put are trying to fill gas tanks so they’ll be able to power their generators should they lose electricity for an extended period. Gas price tracking service GasBuddy reported that as of Tuesday morning, 14.5% of gas stations statewide were without fuel, a dramatic spike from just 3% on Monday. The situation was far worse in areas facing mandatory evacuation orders. In Fort Myers, on the state’s Gulf Coast, 70% of stations were without gas as of Monday night. “It’s a testament to how fast the storm is moving and how intense it is,” said Patrick De Haan, an energy analyst at GasBuddy. “It’s a game changer.” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis tried to tamp down panic buying and drivers topping off tanks, which can make shortages worse. DeSantis in a press conference Tuesday morning assured residents that the state is working to bring emergency supplies of gasoline to stations that have run out of gas. He said the state’s reserves include 110,000 gallons of gasoline and 268,000 gallons of diesel fuel. And he said while those reserves are falling because of distribution that has already taken place, there are 1.2 million gallons of both fuels currently in route to the state. DeSantis said 27 fuel trucks were escorted by the Florida Highway Patrol to deliver fuel to stations in the anticipated impact area of the storm.