Writer: Joshua Andino
2 min read April 2023 — South Florida’s gas run continues as Port Everglades trucks try to meet panic-induced demand.
For those that have driven anywhere around South Florida over the last few days, they may have noticed that the gas pumps in cities across the region have started to run dry. From Palm Beach to Key West, gasoline shortages have started to pop up as a result of last week’s torrential rainfall that flooded parts of South Florida for several days – including Fort Lauderdale and Port Everglades, which provides 40% of the gasoline for the whole state, reports AAA.
While there have been no interruptions to the actual shipping of petroleum products to Port Everglades, the flooding has caused delays at the Port’s terminals – which are operated by private companies, to ship gas across the area.
The delays have led to concern amongst residents and long lines at gas stations as people stock up – despite pleas from local officials to avoid doing so. Broward County Mayor Lamar Fisher said at a Monday press conference at the port that there was no need to rush to the pumps, and that the operators were on the job.
“We have terminals here that are privately owned by the gas facility folks,” he said. “So what’s happening is, their pumps were inundated with water. Now, they are trying to get these pumps back in working order to get the fuel out of their tanks to get a cord into the tankers so they can get the fuel in the gas stations.”
Alongside him was Jonathan Daniels, Port Everglades CEO, who explained that more than supply, it was a distribution issue, “We do about 7 million gallons of gas per day into the service stations, we’re down to about 3.5 million right now.” He added that as a result of the rains earlier last week, trucks were delayed from prior deliveries, meaning that while the issues with the pumps were slowly being resolved, it was also playing a game of catchup.
As of Wednesday, nine out of the port’s 12 gas terminals were fully operational, confirmed public information officer Joy Oglesby, who said “Fuel ships continue to bring petroleum products to Port Everglades,” she said. “There is no shortage of gas, diesel, jet fuel or other petroleum products. And, the delays in delivery are expected to continue to decrease.”
Despite the best efforts of officials to manage resident’s concerns, local outlets confirm that lines still persist, even as the Florida Department of Emergency Management sends hundreds of tanker trucks and 500,000 gallons of fuel from Port Canaveral and Port Tampa Bay. In a release, FDEM officials stated that the first deliveries would be made between Tuesday and Wednesday, with more on the way.
In the meantime, Oglesby cautioned against over-stocking, and asked for residents to fill up only when they needed to, saying, “Buy the gas that you need to take care of the essentials,” she said. “Consider your neighbor, coworker or friend who may be in need.”
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