‘Don’t rush to the pumps’: Port Everglades has ample fuel supply after South Florida floods
Finding gas in South Florida is proving to be a massive challenge for drivers as fuel disruptions continued Sunday after historic rainfall flooded the region’s roadways last week.
But authorities are asking motorists not to panic — despite the weekend’s long lines at the pumps.
Travelers were observed lining up in droves at numerous gas stations across Miami-Dade and Broward counties all weekend. At others, impromptu “no gas” fliers were taped to the pumps.
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In Little Havana, multiple drivers stopped Sunday night at a Shell gas station, 401 SW Eighth St., where there were no signs pointing to the lack of the precious liquid.
Victor Mora, 35, had been looking for gas since 4 p.m. at six gas stations in the Miami area, the Little Havana resident said. At around 7:45 p.m., his car was running out of gas, and at that point he was considering giving up for the day. The two nearest gas stations had also run out of fuel.
“I’m in red,” he said in Spanish, regarding the car’s low fuel light. “People just panicked.”
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As more people parked by the pumps, a gas station worker started covering all pump handles with red plastic. Several drivers told the Miami Herald they didn’t know what was going on.
Among those was José R. Dubón, 58, who was looking to fill the tank of his rental before catching a flight at the Miami International Airport. The Puerto Rico resident said he had two options: pay a penalty fee to the car rental company for delivering his vehicle without a full tank or risk missing his flight to find a working gas station.
“Either I fill the tank, or Hertz will charge me $10 a gallon,” he said with a chuckle.
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Drivers in South Miami-Dade were waiting in line up to an hour Sunday afternoon to have their turn at the pump at gas stations along U.S. 1, some of which only had regular gas, the Herald observed. At one of them, it was taking motorists around 10 minutes to fill their gas tanks as the fuel came out slower than usual.
The day before, C.L. Conroy came across more than a dozen cars waiting for gas on her search for fuel in Pinecrest.
“It was reminding me of, you know, post hurricane times for sure,” she said.
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When she was finally able to find a gas station, it only offered regular fuel. While she was able to fill her tank, a gas station attendant was closing other pumps as the station ran out of fuel.
The owner told her disruptions at Port Everglades, the hub for about 40% of the gasoline into Florida, meant he didn’t get a fuel shipment.
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“Anytime there is a weather issue there is a run on gas and petroleum products. This is no different,” said Ellen Kennedy, the director of external affairs for the port.
Fort Lauderdale, where Port Everglades is, saw historic 25.91-inch rain totals on Wednesday — a 1-in-500-year storm. While the port did not close, it was not saved from the torrential downpours.
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Kennedy said some of the petroleum companies that use the port were hit with enough flooding to shut them down. The weather was too severe for truck drivers to make fuel deliveries, causing shortages at gas stations across the 12 counties the port services, from Lake Okeechobee to the Florida Keys.
But is there a reason to panic? Port Everglades and Broward County say no — and here’s why.
Is there enough gas?
Over the weekend, more petroleum terminals became operational at Port Everglades. And on Monday afternoon, about half of the companies that distribute petroleum products such as propane, diesel and gasoline were delivering to retailers and other consumers, the port said in a news release.
To help ease the shortage in the meantime, Kennedy said Saturday fuel is being transported to South Florida from Tampa and Canaveral.
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“It takes a while to recover from a weather-related storm,” she added. “People shouldn’t panic because everything is coming back.”
Port Everglades spokeswoman Joy Oglesby noted on Monday consumers shouldn’t be alarmed since there are three tankers at the port in addition to five offshore with gas, diesel and jet fuel. Broward County Mayor Lamar P. Fisher echoed her recommendation in a press conference.
“The public is encouraged to remain patient and not rush to the pumps since the port has ample fuel supply,” she said. “As more of the privately owned petroleum companies become operational, deliveries will continue to increase.”
Miami Herald staff writer Jacqueline Charles contributed to this report.
This story was originally published April 15, 2023 at 9:12 PM.
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