Fuel distributors and traders in Florida braced for a second supply shock as Hurricane Irma barreled toward the state on the heels of disruptions from Hurricane Harvey in Texas.
Irma, described by forecasters as a potentially catastrophic Category 5 hurricane is forecast to reach southern Florida on Saturday, prompting Governor Rick Scott to declare a state of emergency.
Florida does not have any refineries and its more than 20 million residents rely on refined products delivered by tanker and barge at its ports.
While locals stocked up on bottled water and plywood, fuel distributors scrambled to fill up on gasoline and diesel supplies before rough seas force port closures.
“We are also working with Homeland (Security) to get ships in before the hurricane,” said Ned Bowman, executive director at the Florida Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association, which represents 98 percent of fuel sold in Florida.
Bowman added that the “window is closing fast.”
The threat of Irma looms after Hurricane Harvey killed more than 60 people, dumped over 50 inches (127 cm) of rain and damaged 203,000 homes. About a quarter of U.S. refining capacity was offline as Harvey hammered Louisiana and Texas for several days, shutting key infrastructure in the heart of the U.S. oil and natural gas industry.
Retail gas prices in Florida have already jumped about 36 cents in one week to $2.68 a gallon as of Tuesday, according to motorists advocacy group AAA.
In part because of Florida’s tourism industry and heavy passenger and cargo traffic through its international airports, state demand for motor gasoline and jet fuel is among the highest in the United States, according to the EIA.
The emergency issued by the governor also lifts trucking restrictions, allowing drivers to work longer hours and more freely bring in gasoline and fuel from other states if needed.
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