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HomeNewsSmithers gas prices still high following hurricane activity down south

Smithers gas prices still high following hurricane activity down south

Senior Petroleum analyst with Gasbuddy.com Dan McTeague says Hurricane Harvey was responsible for the recent spike at the pumps in Smithers, which sits at $121.9.

The situation in the United States should settle eventually, but for now, McTeague doesn’t anticipate it will get any worse at local gas stations. “The situation in Texas will take care of itself,” says McTeague. “Two or three of the 14 refineries that went down is now back online producing gasoline. For now, the storage and inventory picture there might be tight but it is nowhere near as serious as what we’re seeing in Florida.”

This isn’t the first time McTeague has experienced two major hurricanes this close together that have ravaged portions of the United States. “I have seen this in the past in a previous role I had as a parliamentarian but also the point man responsible for Canadians abroad when we saw both hurricanes Wilma and Katrina happen within a very short time of each other. We have seen two storms perhaps not of equal size or potential devastation but I I can’t think that we’ve seen anything as bad as Katrina but we may very well see it here with Irma.”

“Nevertheless, two storms 12 years ago is not unusual and I guess we’re overdue for one given the fact that these things do happen every decade or so.”

Some people have attributed these two major hurricanes to climate change – an argument McTeague simply doesn’t buy. “I am getting a lot of push back and no’s of people saying it is due to human climate change and I’m just shaking my head saying it is quite normal. It may be exceeding but if there is a question of the environment being influenced by warmer temperatures and the connection to these hurricanes I think is still pretty reaching at this point.”

There have been reports that 43% of gas stations in Miami are currently without fuel while 30% and 32% of gas stations in both Tampa and West Palm Beach are also out of gas.

Several fuel trucks have also been rerouted from Texas to Florida to deal with the crisis.

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