Long lines began to build all throughout South Florida this past weekend as residents started noticing gas stations completely out of service.

A spokesperson for Port Everglades has been encouraging the public not to rush to the pump amid gas storage due to the historic flooding that occurred last week.

Because of the flooding surrounding the Everglades port, massive delays in gasoline shipments have made it almost impossible for Floridians to find a station where they can fill up their vehicles for the following work week.

Port Everglades is the entry point for 12.5 million gallons a day of energy products, from gasoline and diesel to jet fuel, for 12 Florida counties.

On top of the shortage, gas prices skyrocketed in stations where gas was still available, some climbing as high as $3.53 in the Tampa Bay region, $3.75 in Palm Beach County, and up to $3.90 in Miami-Dade County.

“Crude prices rose last week on the belief that easing U.S. inflation could lessen the pressure on the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates, which could ultimately be bullish for gasoline demand,” AAA said in a Monday news release. “Also propping up prices is a report from the International Energy Agency, which forecasts global fuel supplies may not be able to keep pace with global fuel demand, due to OPEC’s decision to cut oil production by more than 1 million barrels per day starting next month.”

The upside is that many counties served by Port Everglades had fuel brought in from Orlando, Port Canaveral and Tampa, according to Mark Jenkins, spokesman for AAA-The Auto Club.

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