Damage From Hurricane Harvey Causes Gas Price Hike
BOSTON (CBS) -- Many miles away, Harvey's heavy rain may have finally stopped, but you're still going to notice its ripple effects at your local gas station.
The nation's largest refinery is under water and offline – just one of more than a dozen affected by the catastrophic storm. Those refineries and pipelines supply to regions far beyond Texas.
The nation's largest oil refinery in Port Arthur, Texas is under water and out of service because of Hurricane Harvey. It's one of more than a dozen refineries offline, causing fuel scrambles like this in Dallas.
A driver in Texas confirmed the long gas lines in the Dallas area by saying, "They're crazy."
The Triple-A's Jeanette Casselano says it's ironic the price jumps are taking place at Labor Day.
"Going into Labor Day weekend we're really seeing the perfect storm," Casselano said.
Triple-A is reporting that prices have hit their highest levels so far this year.
This week, gasoline futures jumped to the highest levels since June 2015. That influences the prices gas stations pay, which are passed on drivers.
Driver Sandi Gardner says she's traveling and has seen a noticeable increase already.
"We're traveling now for vacation and we've already seen about a 20-cent spike," Gardner said.
But she's more accepting under the conditions.
"When you think about it it's a small price to pay in a way. It's understandable. Especially considering the grief those people are going through," Gardner said.
John O'Neil is a commuter and he says the increases will affect him.
"I drive about 36 miles each way from Merrimack, NH every day. Between traffic and everything else it starts affecting your bottom line. When prices of gas jump up 10, 15 cents, it gets ridiculous. It can get expensive real quick," O'Neil said.
Drivers had mixed reactions, but Richard Mobriant says the price hikes are harder on some drivers than others.
"When you're on a fixed income you have to. If they get up too high. I'm not going anywhere," Mobriant said.
There are no estimates on when those crucial refineries will be up and running again. The best case scenario says mid-September. The worst case scenario says they'll be running again closer to Thanksgiving.
