Florida gas stations struggled to keep up with the rise in fuel demand, with homeowners rushing to fill up their tanks before evacuating, seeing long lines and empty pumps. Compounding the worry for many, people planning to hunker down as Hurricane Milton neared encountered difficulties stocking up on gas to fuel generators.
During a Tuesday morning press conference, Gov. Ron DeSantis stated that state officials, including the Florida Highway Patrol, coordinated with fuel companies to continue bringing gasoline ahead of Milton’s predicted landfall on Wednesday. DeSantis said troopers escorted 27 fuel trucks to stations Monday night.
While replenishments are underway, Patrick De Haan, an analyst for GasBuddy, said that approximately 23% of Florida stations were out of fuel as of Wednesday morning. According to GasBuddy, more than 59% of stations in the Tampa-St. The Petersburg area was out of fuel as of 10 a.m. ET Wednesday.
Where can I find gas in Florida?
The search for gasoline is nerve-racking for those preparing for a significant disaster. GasBuddy’s website includes an app and an interactive map to help Floridians identify gas stations with fuel, limited fuel, and out of fuel. Search by city or zip code. The current average gas price in Florida is $3.108, based on AAA. According to Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody’s spokeswoman, Kylie Mason, she has received over 200 complaints regarding price gouging, most concerning petrol and lodging.