State Fines 30 Ga. Gas Stations for Price Gouging

More than 30 Georgia gas stations have paid fines to the state office of consumer affairs over alleged price gouging in the wake of gulf coast hurricanes last fall.

Some stations have to pay up to $10,000 in fines to the state, while others must refund money to customers who can prove they bought gas during the price spike.

The list includes a $20,000 fine against nine Tennessee-based Pilot travel center stations.

The stations are among 200 the state is investigating over complaints of unfairly raising gas prices when hurricanes shuttered several gulf coast oil refineries and left several southern states without enough gas.

Under state law, businesses have to prove they were making the same profit with their elevated prices as they were before the governor activated the anti-gouging statute.

(AP)

Federal study: Global warming could mean fewer hurricanes in Atlantic

Georgia’s coast could see fewer hurricanes in the next century. A new study says global warming could reduce the number of hurricanes in the Atlantic ocean.

The theory is that global warming will cause an increase in wind shear over the Atlantic which in turn will lead to fewer hurricanes. Wind shear is produced by the jet stream and it can quell tropical storms as they try to form.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is the federal agency that put out the study-it forecasts nearly 20 percent fewer hurricanes in the Atlantic for the next hundred years.

It also concludes global warming will intensify big hurricanes. Critics say take all this with a grain of salt. The debate is strong among meteorologists of just how global warming will impact the Atlantic. The final verdict is still out.

Experts say 12 storms likely

Experts predict 12 named hurricanes during the 2008 season. Hurricane season officially starts June 1st and lasts through November 30th. AccuWeather.com says 12 is just above average for the number of storms. But warm waters near the north Atlantic coastline mean a higher risk of a destructive storm hitting the East Coast.

Governor meets federal emergency officials

State and federal officials are gearing up for hurricanes along the coast, even as emergency crews battle wildfires.

Governor Sonny Perdue says Georgia will do what it takes to keep residents safe from fires and hurricanes, should they strike at the same time.

"We will find the resources within our state budget, or even an emergency appropriation needed to do that. Will we be stretched thin? Yes".

Perdue says only a lot of rain can end the wildfires and statewide drought. He met with federal emergency management officials to discuss hurrican preparations. They said they would make sure shelters are in place, emergency supplies reach their destinations, and debris is removed quickly. But, officials said people have to take care of themselves first.