The hunt for gasoline is adding to Floridians’ anxiety as Milton nears

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Florida gas stations struggled to keep up with demand Tuesday as long lines and empty pumps compounded the stress for residents planning to hunker down or flee as Hurricane Milton approached the state's western coast.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said during a morning news conference that state officials, including the Florida Highway Patrol, were working with fuel companies to continue bringing in gasoline ahead of Milton's expected landfall on Wednesday. Troopers escorted 27 fuel trucks to stations Monday night, DeSantis said.

Patrick De Haan, an analyst for GasBuddy, said “replenishments are happening,” but about 16.5% of Florida stations were out of fuel as of Tuesday afternoon — up from 3.5% a day earlier. More than 43% of the stations in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area had no gasoline as of late Tuesday morning, according to GasBuddy.

DeSantis outlined replenishment efforts during his morning news conference.

“We have been dispatching fuel over the past 24 hours as gas stations have run out,” DeSantis said. “So we currently have 268,000 gallons of diesel, 110,000 gallons of gasoline. Those numbers are less than what they were 24 hours ago because we’ve put a lot in, but we have an additional 1.2 million gallons of both diesel and gasoline that is currently en route to the state of Florida.”

DeSantis stressed that there wasn't a fuel shortage.

“That’s technically correct. Fuel is flowing, but stations can’t keep caught up,” De Haan said. “But it’s hard to tell somebody that's at a pump with a bag over it that there’s no shortage.”

“You've got to have patience,” Stephanie Grover-Brock, a Tampa resident in line for gasoline in the Riverview area, said Tuesday morning. “It's a little aggravating. You've got to be patient, be determined and just have grace.”

Nearby, motorist Ralph Douglas said some gas stations in Ruskin, where he lives, ran out of gas, but he was able to find fuel elsewhere.

Also in line was Martin Oakes of Apollo Beach.

“I was able to get some gas yesterday, but then they ran out,” Oakes said, waiting in a slow-moving line. “So now I'm trying to get gas here again and, you know, long lines, trickling gas pumps.”

Oakes and Grover-Brock said they were not in evacuation zones and did not plan to leave.

Ned Bowman, spokesperson for the Florida Petroleum Marketers Association, said the situation was typical for a Florida hurricane — with demand peaking and some stations temporarily running dry. He said suppliers are “constantly” moving fuel to stations.

“Have patience,” Bowman said. “It's out there.”

AAA told The Associated Press it would advise Floridians to “take only what you need” and if evacuating, to avoid letting one's gas tank get too low before looking for a place to fill up.

DeSantis said during his news conference there is enough gasoline for those who are evacuating.

“You do not have to get on the interstate and go far away,” DeSantis said. “You can evacuate tens of miles. You do not have to evacuate hundreds of miles away. You do have options.”

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McGill reported from New Orleans.

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This story corrects that more than 43% of the stations in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area had no gasoline as of late Tuesday morning, not Wednesday morning.