Florida Fuel Shortages: Governor Makes Appeal As Hurricane Irma Nears

TAMPA, FL — As Hurricane Irma continues a deadly trek toward Florida, gas stations across the Tampa Bay area and state are seeing their supplies dwindle. “Take only the fuel you need” for Hurricane Irma, Gov. Rick Scott appealed to residents during a Thursday morning press conference.

Speaking from an emergency management center in Hialeah on Thursday morning, Scott said that he is ordering state law enforcement to provide escorts to fuel supply trucks heading to gas stations from Florida ports.

State officials are also working with the Environmental Protection Agency and FEMA to waive federal regulations that will also speed the delivery of fuel shipments. (For more hurricane news or local news from Florida, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Tampa Patch, and click here to find your local Florida Patch. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

"If you know you are going to a a shelter in the county, please take only the fuel you need," Scott urged. "You don’t need to fill your tank to the brim to stay in your own county."

Watch: Florida Governor Pleads For Gas Stations To Remain Open

Like Tampa Patch on Facebook and keep reading below:

Scott also took to his Twitter account Thursday to show residents help is on the way. He posted a photo of a Florida Highway Patrol trooper escorting a tanker.

In the Tampa Bay area, people have been turned away at the pumps. A BP gas station on Sheldon Road ran out of gas at noon Wednesday, said store manager Michael Rizk. Bright red bags covered the gas pump handles. He said about 40 vehicles lined the street Wednesday morning, and police were called to keep things orderly.

Vehicles also lined up outside a RaceTrac in Lutz Thursday morning. Motorists said it was the only store they found in the area that had fuel, making the wait worthwhile.

Have you been able to find gas in the Tampa Bay area? Share where by commenting below!

You can find out which gas stations are out of fuel on GasBuddy.com or through the GasBuddy app.

By 11 a.m. Thursday, Hurricane Irma was packing 175 mph winds while moving on a path that is expected to impact Florida over the weekend. Hurricane-force winds extended out from Irma by 60 miles. Tropical-storm force winds extended out 185 miles. Forecasters say, “some fluctuations in intensity are likely during the next day or two, but Irma is forecast to remain a powerful Category 4 or 5 hurricane during the next couple of days.”

Patch's Paul Scicchitano and Don Johnson contributed to this story.

Image via Shutterstock