Scattered gas shortages reported in WNC as Hurricane Florence approaches

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ASHEVILLE – Heavy demand spurred in part by panic buying resulted in scattered shortages of gasoline in the area Wednesday.

Memories of past hurricanes in which it was difficult to find gas appear to have pushed some people in Western North Carolina to fill up their tanks sooner than they normally would. Visitors here for the World Equestrian Games or evacuating coastal areas ahead of Hurricane Florence may also be adding to demand.

"It really is a direct result of Florence and it has to do with people topping off," said Tiffany Wright, a spokeswoman for AAA Carolinas. "I hate to see it. ... It is panic buying."

There are reports of stations running out of gas in various places around the state, but any disruption to the fuel supply should be brief, Wright said.

People in or who follow the oil and gas industry were quick to point out that Florence is different from most hurricanes that have affected WNC.

1 good thing about Florence's projected path

Past memorable storms have typically moved north to the mountains after coming ashore on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, where many refineries and oil wells are located.

The damage they cause to those facilities to the south sometimes decreases gasoline supplies for much of the eastern United States, including WNC.

But Florence is headed to the region from the east, and there is relatively little significant oil and gas infrastructure in the area where it is likely to do the most harm.

"At this point, we don't anticipate any supply disruptions," said Scott Shealy, head of Asheville-based distribution company Citizens Fuel.

"Unless something unusual occurs, we should be OK unless the panic buying begins," Shealy said.

Gas pumps at a small number of Ingles Markets locations had gone dry Wednesday morning, but outages will only be temporary, said Ron Freeman, chief financial officer for grocery chain.

"We have a lot of experience with weather events and have implemented procedures to ensure our pumps and our stores are full and ready to respond to our customers’ needs," Freeman said.

"Sometimes, despite all this planning, customer behavior is difficult to predict and temporary shortages can occur. The stores currently out of fuel have trucks on the way and should be replenished soon," he added.

Freeman said he can't predict what will happen with suppliers or road conditions if Florence causes widespread flooding in WNC or other areas Ingles serves. That scenario seems to be becoming more likely as new weather forecasts come in.

At a briefing Tuesday morning, Gov. Roy Cooper said he believes supplies of gasoline across the state are adequate and distribution has not yet been disrupted by the storm.

Most of the gasoline sold in WNC comes via the Colonial Pipeline, which runs from the Houston area to northern New Jersey.

The pipeline "is operating normally in advance of Florence," Colonial spokesman Steve Baker said.

    More on Hurricane Florence:
    • Hurricane Florence path changes: Heavy rainfall, flooding could hit WNC Friday
    • Hurricane Florence: Storm generating 83-foot waves, landfall forecast changes
    • Photos: Hurricane Florence - Swan Quarter, NC
    • Cooper on Hurricane Florence: 'Disaster is at the doorstep and it's coming in'
    •Hurricane Florence: Animal shelters evacuating dogs and cats ahead of storm

The company said workers have filled storage tanks to ensure they do not float away if caught up in flooding and has generators on standby in case they are needed to provide electricity to pipeline facilities.

In North and South Carolina, the pipeline's route roughly parallels Interstate 85 and runs through Spartanburg, Charlotte and Greensboro. Those cities, particularly Greensboro, could see major flooding from Florence but the pipeline is underground, reducing the chances of damage that would take a long period to repair.

'Knee jerk reaction' helps cause shortages

Wright said the pipeline has shut down for a day or two during severe weather events in the past and gas tanker trucks will probably not venture out while Hurricane Florence is passing through an area.

Those problems could cause temporary shortages but it is very unlikely they would last long in places like WNC, she said.

"If you're sitting at home right now and your tank's on 'E,' you probably should go get gas," Wright said.

She said long lines reported at some stations elsewhere in the state are a result of "a knee jerk reaction" and are "really unnecessary."

A resident of a Raleigh suburb told The Associated Press Wednesday morning she had been unable to fill up her vehicle.

"This morning I drove around for an hour looking for gas in Cary. Everyone was sold out," Michelle Stober said.

Wright said there are "pretty bad" supply problems in coastal areas in the Carolinas. Residents there understandably fill up their vehicles before evacuating, she said.

Re-supplying the coast could also strain the gas distribution system a bit after Florence passes through, she said.

Even so, the odds are that most motorists in the Carolinas will be able to get gas when they need it, Wright said.