Amid Tampa Bay's gas shortage, here's how to avoid an outage

The gas rush off Milton in Tampa Bay began in earnest yesterday, leading to long lines, significant shortages and a level of desperation not seen in years.

Brian and Susan Mowll repeatedly pulled off Interstate 75 yesterday on the way to Tampa International Airport, only to find handles covered in yellow plastic bags and the telltale words “pump stopped” on the screen. In small towns north of Tampa Bay, lines stretched a mile along the road.

Hundreds of thousands of Tampa Bay residents were ordered to evacuate, including more than half of Pinellas County's population. Traffic on major highways has been reduced to a minimum, putting far greater strain on gas supplies than during Hurricane Helene, when shortages were fortunately rare.

On Wednesday, about 100 gas stations in Tampa Bay were without gas, out of the nearly 300 tracked by GasBuddy, a service that maps outages across the country. Around 1,250 gas stations across the state were out of gas.

The Port of Tampa has plenty of fuel, state officials said. But demand has left gas stations emptying faster than supplies can be replenished. Gov. Ron DeSantis said the Florida Highway Patrol escorted 27 tank trucks to gas stations Monday evening.

But those evacuating or refilling canisters to run emergency generators can avoid ending up at the gas pump. Below are some tips from Patrick De Haan, a petroleum analyst for GasBuddy.

Where should I look for gas?

Large travel stops like Wawa, Pilot Flying J and Buc-ee typically have larger tanks under the pump, making gas supplies last longer, De Haan said.

Gas stations affiliated with stores like Walmart, Costco and Sam's Club also tend to have more supplies, he said.

If you're driving on the highway, avoid stopping right at the exit, De Haan said. Check to see if there are any stops or large train stations further into the city.

When should I try to get gas?

When a gas station is open 24 hours a day, new deliveries tend to arrive early in the morning, De Haan said. It is best to arrive early, between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m.

For restaurants that are closed overnight, it is advisable to arrive around opening time, he said.

Start checking for a quarter tank, not when the low fuel light comes on, De Haan said. And use tracking apps to avoid breaking down repeatedly and wasting even more gas.

How can I track outages?

GasBuddy has an app and website that allows drivers to report outages when they encounter them. Users can see whether gas stations have regular fuel, diesel and electricity. GasBuddy finds outages by crowdsourcing information from consumers.

Consumers should look for stations that have current data. After a few hours, this data may no longer be as reliable, De Haan said.

When was the last time that happened?

The last time there were widespread shortages in Tampa Bay was after Hurricane Michael, which hit the Florida Panhandle as a Category 5 storm in 2018, De Haan said.

A week after Michael landed, approximately 60% of gas stations in Panama City were out of fuel. Gas stations took longer to restock due to the devastation Panama City faced, according to a GasBuddy analysis.

The rapid increase in outages prior to Milton's landfall mirrors events during Hurricane Irma in 2017. In Gainesville, for example, more than 60% of gas stations were out of service the day before the storm.

But recovery came faster. Three days after the storm, 40% of gas stations still had no gas. A week after Irma, only 15% of Gainesville's stations were open.

What will the gas situation look like after the Milton impact?

How quickly gas supplies come back online depends on how well things go in Port Tampa Bay, De Haan said. Damage to critical infrastructure or dead ends along shipping channels could delay the supply chain.

“Port Tampa will literally be one of the first things on land to be hit,” he said.

Oil tankers are stored directly at the port. If these tankers are flooded, there could be long-term shortages.

DeSantis said the state expects the port to suffer “significant damage.” State officials would find alternative ways to transport fuel if there were “significant disruptions” at the port, he said.

Port Tampa Bay spokeswoman Lisa Wolf-Chason said the port's oil tenants are protected around their facilities. A ditch-like barrier stops some flooding. Flooding water is washed into a ditch below the tankers. The tankers are also filled with so much fuel that they would not be able to float away if they were flooded, she said.

The port is currently closed to incoming and outgoing ships. On land, trucks would continue to reload gasoline until hours or minutes before the storm, Wolf-Chason said.

There are some potential obstacles that could delay the port's reopening. Debris can clog shipping channels or misplaced buoys could endanger navigation.

If everything remains intact, the fuel shortage should ease as early as Saturday or Sunday, said De Haan.

The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.