Labor Day Gas Prices Spike Across Ohio After Hurricane Harvey

Ohio drivers are going to be feeling the wrath of Hurricane Harvey when they visit the gas pumps this Labor Day weekend. Gas prices have surged by 12 cents, on average, at gas stations across the state, according to the AAA auto club.

The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline is at $2.359—up from a week ago when the average was $2.239 across Ohio. But that’s still better than the national average of $2.449, up from a national average of $2.348 a week ago, according the automobile club’s gas price data base.

The price increases at the pumps are directly related to Harvey’s impact across Texas and southern United States. Roughly one-fourth of the Gulf Coast’s refining capacity was taken offline because of the storm. (To stay up to date on local stories, subscribe to the Patch Cleveland newsletter. As news breaks and the story develops, you will be the first to receive updates from Patch.)

“No doubt, Harvey has impacted operations and access to refineries in the Gulf Coast. However a clear understanding of overall damage at the refineries is unknown,” said Jeanette Casselano, AAA spokesperson. “Despite the country’s overall oil and gasoline inventories being at or above 5-year highs, until there is clear picture of damage and an idea when refineries can return to full operational status, gas prices will continue to increase.”

Here's a breakdown of current average gas price in regions across the state.

• $2.332 in the Cleveland-Elyria-Lorain area
• $2.349 in the Akron area
• $2.370 in the Canton-Massillon area
• $2.380 in the Cincinnati area
• $2.411 in the Columbus area
• $2.341 in the Dayton area
• $2.312 in the Toledo area
• $2.310 in the Youngstown area

>> See also: Harvey Leaves More Texas Cities Under Water, Chemical Fire, More Heartache

However, this should be a short-term price spike. AAA officials expect prices to drop by mid-to-late September, when refiners should be back online and gas stations begin selling the cheaper winter-blend gasoline.
About 37.2 million Americans are expected to travel for Labor Day weekend, the AAA's highest estimate for the holiday since 2008 and up from 35.5 million in 2015, the last time the auto club did a Labor Day travel estimate.

If you're hitting the road, you can check gas prices for your travel destination at GasBuddy.

AAA has online tools to help drivers save on gas:

• Fuel Price Finder locates the lowest fuel price in your area.
• Fuel Cost Calculator helps budget travel expenses.
• TripTik Mobile plots fuel prices along your travel route.