The line at one gas station in Venice extended for blocks as many stations in the area are out of fuel.
According to GasBuddy, 49.9% of gas stations in the Fort Myers region are out of fuel. That number has risen since Hurricane Ian came on shore Wednesday.
By comparison, one-third of area gas stations reported being out of fuel Friday morning.
Surrounding regions are also experiencing gas shortages. If you’re considering going to the Tampa area, nearly one-third of gas stations there are without fuel, GasBuddy reported. About 20 percent of stations in the Orlando region are reporting being out of gas.
Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, is hopeful things might begin to improve.
“Hoping we start seeing improvements after the weekend but it may get slightly worse,” De Haan wrote on Twitter early Saturday.
Gas prices have remained steady in the area since Hurricane Ian struck. AAA reported the average cost for gas in the state is $3.38 a gallon, up just 1 cent from a week ago.
The average gallon of gas in the Fort Myers region is $3.31, down 1 cent from a week ago.
On Friday, Gov. Ron DeSantis said the fuel supply is “flowing.”
“ It's just a matter of the gas stations need to have power to be able to operate and if they have a certain number of pumps, they're required to have a generator,” he said. “I was in Lee County (Thursday) and actually saw, you know, some of the larger gas stations were operating, so, so that's a good sign.”
