ATLANTA — The average price of gas in metro Atlanta has already increased two cents since Thursday and could go up more as Hurricane Harvey bears down on the Texas coast.
The now Category 1 storm will be the first major hurricane to make landfall in the United States since 2004.
As the storm moves in, some Gulf Coast refineries are already shutting down. Those refineries are responsible for producing the gas that fuels metro Atlanta.
The average price of gas increased to $2.29 in Atlanta Friday, but good news is that sources say there is no immediate threat to the supply in our area.
Colonial Pipeline told Channel 2’s Jim Strickland that all is well at present but they advised him to check back later in the week.
Major retailers and the nation's largest fuel wholesaler are all taking a wait and see approach.
“We are anticipating there’s gonna be some form of disruption. Nobody knows how much at this point,” said QT spokesman Mike Thornbrugh.
He says the chain has 10 storm scenarios plotted out.
“The Atlanta market is based upon Gulf Coast products. So if you have a disruption in the Gulf Coast, the way the pipelines run, there could be issues, but we don't know yet,” he said.
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Strickland was the first Atlanta reporter allowed inside the head end of the Colonial Pipeline in Houston. It carries most of Atlanta’s fuel and is central to one of QT’s worst-case scenarios.
“If it starts to flood and gets into the pump stations, they'll have to shut down,” Thornbrugh said.
Back to back hurricanes in 2008 triggered a supply crisis, and Atlanta’s highest ever average price of more than $4.
Giant fuel wholesaler Mansfield Oil says there's no need to top off right now
“As the storm moves out and then back into Houston Wednesday and Thursday, that might have a different affect, we'll just have to wait and see. Right now, I don't see a reason to panic if you're a fuel customer in the Atlanta market,” said Andy Milton, with Mansfield Oil.
RaceTrac, which is based in Cobb County, also sent Strickland a statement saying they anticipate no supply impact in metro Atlanta.
Cox Media Group
