Motorist fills up Hummer at a station in midtown Atlanta, Sept. 22, 2008. (Dave Bender)
Gas stations in much of the southeast are having a tough time getting enough fuel. Many have temporarily closed, and cars lined up at the pump are a not uncommon sight.
Atlanta, Nashville, and Tallahassee, are among other cities in the region, reporting closures or limited fuel supplies.
Motorist Tate Nichols, who lives in Atlanta suburb Stone Mountain, says he’s seen the biggest problems in town:
“Generally, out in my area, I haven’t had any problem finding gas - I have, in midtown today run across a couple of empty stations that do not have gas - but I found one within two minutes of looking that did have gas.”State and industry officials say one factor behind the shortage are interrupted supplies from refineries in the Gulf of Mexico. Many closed for the duration of hurricanes Gustav and Ike.
And, an Atlanta law requiring stations to use cleaner-burning fuel means gas can't be easily diverted from better-supplied areas.
Governor Sonny Perdue and other officials here say they expect fuel supplies to return to normal later this week.
Click here for more GPB News coverage of the gas crisis.
