Got Gas?

It's one o'clock in the morning and over ten cars are still lined up outside a gas station in Asheville, North Carolina. The drivers - some patient, others irate, hope there will be enough fuel left when their turn comes around. Many of them have been searching for gas for over an hour, others were told about this particular oasis by a friend.

This is becoming a common sight in some cities across the Southeast, because of gas shortages caused by Hurricanes Ike and Gustav. Since most of the 15 Gulf Coast refineries shut down, it's been reported that the nation's petroleum supply has been cut by 22 percent. In Nashville, Tallahassee, and even Atlanta people are wondering where they can fill up their vehicles as gas pumps city wide dry up.
"I've lived here my whole life," said an Asheville resident, "and plenty of hurricanes have hit the Gulf before and nothing has ever disrupted the refineries and this pipeline like this before. I think it's a load of cr*#!"

Asheville is a small city in the Appalachians, home of Vanderbilt mansion - the Biltmore Estate, and the Blue Ridge Parkway, America's most travelled road. But if you travel here right now you may not be able to fill up your tank. Late on Monday, September 22nd only one gas station is open for business. Others stand dark and empty, plastic bags covering the pump nozzles, 'out of gas' signs everywhere. It's an unusual sight and it's causing chaos. Police cars are parked in gas station lots, fights have broken out; people can't get to work. It looks like a scene from a movie, or a third world country. And it's a drama that will continue for the next few days according to 'officials'.

This is America, and America runs on gas. So how is this shortage affecting day to day business?
The City of Asheville has imposed fuel conservation measures and the Mayor is encouraging residents to call gas stations ahead of time to check if they actually have anything to sell at the pump. City sponsored sporting events have even been cancelled. Businesses are losing money, and some individuals are having trouble getting to work. This situation is disrupting just about every person across Western North Carolina.

Considering nationwide gas prices dropped two cents per gallon on Monday, the average price in Asheville is up almost fifty cents from five days ago, to about $4.39 a gallon - if you can find it! Asheville's relative remoteness and sparse population have been blamed for the limited deliveries, but some bigger cities are suffering just as much.

Here in Western North Carolina many visitors have been caught unaware. Some people were even stranded overnight, unable to find gasoline for sale. Surely this should be a much bigger story?

The local media has been diligently covering this issue and have done a great job. Cable news outlets have barely mentioned this fiasco, and the major news networks have given it only a cursory glance.

If you are travelling to the Southeast, be aware - there are dry patches, so fill up at every opportunity!