Nearly 75% of gas stations around Tampa Bay area without fuel, following extensive power outages

TAMPA, Fla. – Evacuees returning to West Florida are noticing gas stations are running out of fuel, as power outages at one of the state’s largest ports impact supply distributions.Officials at the port of Tampa Bay report damage was minimal to facilities, but power outages continue to hamper operations.”We are working with our fuel terminal operators to assess their facilities and learn when they will be able to return to service,” the port said in a statement on Friday. “Our port fuel terminal partners have fuel ready to deploy to our region, and are currently undergoing necessary safety tests to re-open their operations. We are hopeful the fuel terminals can be re-established today and are working with our energy supplier, TECO, to expedite the process. Our President and CEO has been in with the Governor’s office about our fuel status so that they can make the determination on whether to bring in additional resources to the area.”GasBuddy, a technology company specializing in crowd-sourced data on prices of gasoline, reports that at least 74% of gas stations around Tampa were without fuel on Friday.The outage number has risen since Hurricane Milton made landfall on Wednesday evening as a Category 3 cyclone near Sarasota.DEATH TOLL FROM HURRICANE MILTON RISES AS FLORIDA PICK UP THE PIECES FROM THE STORM’S DESTRUCTIONOfficials stress that there is plenty of gasoline in storage, ready to be used, but getting the product to stations for consumers has proven challenging.Long lines were spotted outside of gas stations in Ocala, Bradenton and Sarasota, with local police pleading with drivers to be patient.GasBuddy estimated that around half of gas stations around Sarasota were without fuel, with significant shortfalls also reported in Fort Myers, Naples and Gainesville.The fuel shortages are even a concern for the National Weather Service meteorologists, who said they are limiting travel and surveying of damage due to concerns over the gas supply.GIANT SINKHOLES OPEN UP AROUND WEST-CENTRAL FLORIDA AFTER HURRICANE MILTONDuring the response to the hurricane, Florida Highway Patrol troopers were seen escorting dozens of fuel tankers around the region, as emergency orders suspended shipping requirements to hasten efforts.According to GasBuddy, most stations along Interstates 10 and 95 remain open as supplies trickle in via other sources.AAA reports that a gallon of regular unleaded gas in the Sunshine State is about 11 cents cheaper than the national average of around $3.21.