# Gas shortages in Texas caused by the unprepared and panicking masses, not Harvey.



## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

According to the Dallas Morning news (https://www.dallasnews.com/news/har...xas-drivers-need-know-spreading-gas-shortages) and Fort Worth Star Telegram (DFW gas stations may run out of gas due to Harvey | Fort Worth Star-Telegram), panicking masses are causing a gas shortage in Texas.

Now, there is some hit to production due to the fact that 1/5th of the nation's refineries are currently offline due to Harvey moving through, but there is not an actual "shortage" of gasoline in the system. The apparent shortage is only being caused by people *thinking* there is a shortage and stacking up in long lines at local gas stations to get some, draining the normal delivery dry. Basically, the panic has caused a demand for faster deliveries to get gas out to stations, but not really any shortage of the commodity itself.

I know I don't have to tell my fellow Texans on this board, but perhaps they can pass along the message.
Unless you actually NEED gasoline, don't bother getting in line. It only adds to the panic and apparent shortage.

The rest of you not blessed enough to live in the Lone Star State, take notes about how the unprepared react to even *possible* shortages.
It could happen anywhere, for almost no reason at all.


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## 7515 (Aug 31, 2014)

See it in Georgia every damn time they say snow. 
People panic and raid the grocery store to panic buy all the milk bread and eggs 

I've seen people this week filling up gas cans at stations here also. 
Gas has jumped .49 cents a gallon over night. Why does the dumb public panic buy at inflated prices.


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## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

There is no gas shortage in Texas. The normal supply volumes can still be maintained. The apple cart gets upset when the demand increases by 50% or more. The supply chain cant react that quick. Tell all of your dumbass friends to stop panic buying.


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## tango (Apr 12, 2013)

The gas that is now available has been processed and stored for some days.
There is / should be no cost increase for that gas, except for transportation to the pumps!
This is profit making pure and simple!
The cost will go up fast, and will come down very, very slowly.
Price gouging disguised as a shortage!!!


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## KA5IVR (Jun 11, 2014)

I didn't have any problem fueling up today in the DFW area. Drove right up to the Racetrack pumps with the yellow bags over the Gas handles and filled my Diesel truck up! 

You should have seen the look on all those people circling the station looking for Gas. Priceless!


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## Steve40th (Aug 17, 2016)

Here in SC prices have jumped up to 50 cents a gallon.. Sunoco...


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## SanAntonioPrepper (Apr 10, 2017)

Here in San Antonio people are panic buying in masses. People acting like caged animals, hoarding up on gas here in San Antonio Gas Stations. Reminds me of what people acted like at grocery stores when Hurricane Harvey was projected to hit. Lines at almost every major gas station. Some leading into major roadways. Lines could be waiting in for hours. Reports of people filling up their cars and multiple 1-5 gallon gas canisters.

People acting like the Apocalypse has come her in San Antonio, getting into shouting matches and physically getting in front of each other over filling up:
Shouting matches punctuate growing lines at San Antonio gas stations, 45 now without fuel - San Antonio Express-News

We are getting a glimps of what people will act like on Doomsday peeps. A small glimps of when stuff really does hit the fan. And this behavior now is nothing like it will be when it is actually life and death. This is why we prep.


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## inceptor (Nov 19, 2012)

I have to admit, I did top off my tank today. With the morons out there, most stations are out of gas now. All they had left was premium. AND the price had gone up significantly. It could be a week or longer before we get deliveries back on schedule. On another board I heard last night that a burb near me ran out that evening. On the news this morning they said McKinney, Allen and parts of Plano were out already. That was at 6am. 

Yes I have a little gas stored at home. It's a good thing I topped off because by the time my wife got off work, she could find no gas. So my storage will go in her car.


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## inceptor (Nov 19, 2012)

SanAntonioPrepper said:


> Here in San Antonio people are panic buying in masses. People acting like caged animals, hoarding up on gas here in San Antonio Gas Stations. Reminds me of what people acted like at grocery stores when Hurricane Harvey was projected to hit. Lines at almost every major gas station. Some leading into major roadways. Lines could be waiting in for hours. Reports of people filling up their cars and multiple 1-5 gallon gas canisters.
> 
> People acting like the Apocalypse has come her in San Antonio, getting into shouting matches and physically getting in front of each other over filling up:
> Shouting matches punctuate growing lines at San Antonio gas stations, 45 now without fuel - San Antonio Express-News
> ...


Speaking of such, I was talking to a client in Beaumont today. She was on her cell phone and hit 4-5 grocery stores looking for milk and eggs while we talked. There were no groceries to be had.

My wife now has a better understanding of why I prep.


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## LunaticFringeInc (Nov 20, 2012)

I didnt panic buy...but while it was 1.97 gallon knowing Houston was about to be hit the next morning and that the oil wells in the gulf and refineries had shut down, I did fill up. Damned glad I did becuase gas is now 2.59 and counting here in the Lake Cities area...if you can find any for sale! And yes on my way home when I saw how crazy it was becoming, I did stop and buy a whole 4 gallons if that to top off my tank and settle back to weather the "storm". I figure that should get me through for a couple of weeks if need be. Besides if the shortage last very long I wont have to go to work as its kind of hard to teach Drivers Ed when you got no gas for your company cars and Students dont have enough gas to make it in for their scheduled drives.

So while I aint exactly caught with my Pants down around my ankles wondering what just happened, it has kind of caught me flat footed and I am about to fix that in the very near future. When this blows over and I am sure it will before long, I am going to get a 55 gallon drum and one of those manual crank pumps to screw into the lid and keep a full one or two around just in case. Besides I am a tightwad and I like to wait until gas is cheap and at a more reasonable price. This will allow me to do just that and buy low when the getting is good and fly under the radar for those weeks when it jumps 25-50 cents or something like this happens again I wont have to sweat it. When the price takes a jump due to something happening in the world like say I dont know maybe something like Iran instigating crap in the gulf sending oil prices higher, I can just fill up at home and rotate my stocks a bit. When prices return back to a more reasonable level, I can just replinish the stocks. Either way I can avoid the price gouging and the madness that is the lines at the Gas station that we have right now and thats a good thing from my point of view. Besides while I am heavily invested in solar power, it would be nice to get a genset and this could also be used to power it to boot too so I can run it a few hours a day and keep the food from spoiling in the fridge and freezer.


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## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

Hey LF, you already know this but others need to be aware that gas needs to be treated for storage. I rotate mine annually even though I treat it. I store mine in 8 plastic Jerry Cans.

Stay well up there in N Texas.


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## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

I filled up all my cans and diesel tanks last week. Back when Harvey was a tropical depression in the gulf. Part of prepping is being aware of what's going on. Not only in your back yard but nationwide.

Mother even filled her heating oil tank this morning to beat the price increases. DUH.:vs_worry:


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## inceptor (Nov 19, 2012)

LunaticFringeInc said:


> I didnt panic buy...but while it was 1.97 gallon knowing Houston was about to be hit the next morning and that the oil wells in the gulf and refineries had shut down, I did fill up. Damned glad I did becuase gas is now 2.59 and counting here in the Lake Cities area...if you can find any for sale! And yes on my way home when I saw how crazy it was becoming, I did stop and buy a whole 4 gallons if that to top off my tank and settle back to weather the "storm". I figure that should get me through for a couple of weeks if need be. Besides if the shortage last very long I wont have to go to work as its kind of hard to teach Drivers Ed when you got no gas for your company cars and Students dont have enough gas to make it in for their scheduled drives.
> 
> So while I aint exactly caught with my Pants down around my ankles wondering what just happened, it has kind of caught me flat footed and I am about to fix that in the very near future. When this blows over and I am sure it will before long, I am going to get a 55 gallon drum and one of those manual crank pumps to screw into the lid and keep a full one or two around just in case. Besides I am a tightwad and I like to wait until gas is cheap and at a more reasonable price. This will allow me to do just that and buy low when the getting is good and fly under the radar for those weeks when it jumps 25-50 cents or something like this happens again I wont have to sweat it. When the price takes a jump due to something happening in the world like say I dont know maybe something like Iran instigating crap in the gulf sending oil prices higher, I can just fill up at home and rotate my stocks a bit. When prices return back to a more reasonable level, I can just replinish the stocks. Either way I can avoid the price gouging and the madness that is the lines at the Gas station that we have right now and thats a good thing from my point of view. Besides while I am heavily invested in solar power, it would be nice to get a genset and this could also be used to power it to boot too so I can run it a few hours a day and keep the food from spoiling in the fridge and freezer.


I only have a few cans but I rotate them when prices are down. I think it's time to get a few more.


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## LunaticFringeInc (Nov 20, 2012)

inceptor said:


> I only have a few cans but I rotate them when prices are down. I think it's time to get a few more.


same here!!!


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

Every single station here in my hometown is out of gas now.
One station finally sold out after charging $5/gal.

Savage idiots, creating their own problem.

Being a prepared idiot, I filled the cars two days before Harvey, and knew I had an extra 5 gal tank I had filled up the week before for the mower.
There is some speculation that there might still be E85 available locally. I might go out later tonight when the savage idiots are asleep, and see about it, since my new pickup is a Flex Fuel doohickey.


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## azrancher (Dec 14, 2014)

I'd better go fill up then...

*Rancher*


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## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

I was able to fill up early yesterday morning and traffic was relatively light then, but by the afternoon it was pandemonium. I am on the road as part of my business so I saw first hand how jammed things can get and how short tempers where. It took me 3 1/2 hours to get from the Galleria area to my house last night. By yesterday afternoon it was chaos. Half the west side is still down and main traffic arteries may be out of service for months. Gas can be had though. ( Get it early in the morning ) Grocery stores are another matter. Some had lines and those that didn't were packed. 

Generally speaking the city is up and running. Most people have power except the still flooded areas in west Houston. Saw some trucks and tankers making their runs. In Pasadena, where the refineries are, the 225 corridor is coming back on line and up to full production by last night. ( I was with the City of Pasadena folks yesterday morning.) The Houston ship channel and the port are open. Service companies are out and running. I meet with the Houston municipal guys today so I will have more info later. 

I am in good shape and didn't suffer any damage or water in the house. I have plenty to eat and drink, stored gas as a back up and just a little yard clean up this weekend. Some where not so lucky and it will take years for them to recover. Some lost their lives. Mostly trying to drive through flood waters but some where trapped as well.

The fact that the power didn't go off area wide and the light wind damage was a stroke of luck. It could have been much, much, worse. 

A lot of lessons to be learned.


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## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

Prepared One said:


> I was able to fill up early yesterday morning and traffic was relatively light then, but by the afternoon it was pandemonium. I am on the road as part of my business so I saw first hand how jammed things can get and how short tempers where. It took me 3 1/2 hours to get from the Galleria area to my house last night. By yesterday afternoon it was chaos. Half the west side is still down and main traffic arteries may be out of service for months. Gas can be had though. ( Get it early in the morning ) Grocery stores are another matter. Some had lines and those that didn't were packed.
> 
> Generally speaking the city is up and running. Most people have power except the still flooded areas in west Houston. Saw some trucks and tankers making their runs. In Pasadena, where the refineries are, the 225 corridor is coming back on line and up to full production by last night. ( I was with the City of Pasadena folks yesterday morning.) The Houston ship channel and the port are open. Service companies are out and running. I meet with the Houston municipal guys today so I will have more info later.
> 
> ...


Glad your well and getting back amongst the working class .... I need some help supporting the freeloading idiots!


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## SanAntonioPrepper (Apr 10, 2017)

Some of San Antonio's finest on display for the world to see:
https://www.facebook.com/amber.rust.3/videos/1405092902878719/

Tells the story of what some peeps are seeing at the only remaining stations with fuel.


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

SanAntonioPrepper said:


> Some of San Antonio's finest on display for the world to see:
> https://www.facebook.com/amber.rust.3/videos/1405092902878719/
> 
> Tells the story of what some peeps are seeing at the only remaining stations with fuel.


My jaw dropped. Not only did he pay too much for that gas, and another person throw a fit and try to fight him, he then decided to throw it all away out of spite, and likely spend the night in jail.

That will be the most expensive 2 gallons of gas he will EVER buy.

Like I said, savage idiots.


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## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

Kauboy said:


> My jaw dropped. Not only did he pay too much for that gas, and another person throw a fit and try to fight him, he then decided to throw it all away out of spite, and likely spend the night in jail.
> 
> That will be the most expensive 2 gallons of gas he will EVER buy.
> 
> Like I said, savage idiots.


And only the slightest glimpse of what will be the case when the SHTF for real. Buy more ammo!


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## inceptor (Nov 19, 2012)

Just goes to prove there's a whole lot of stupid out there.


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