Hurricane Milton: Gas distribution underway after Port Tampa Bay impacted by power issues
TAMPA - Port Tampa Bay officials confirmed tankers were starting to pick up and deliver fuel to area gas stations Friday afternoon, after Hurricane Milton caused power issues at the port’s private fuel terminals.
"Starting this afternoon, just moments ago, we were able to get that fuel from our facilities and our private terminals out into trucks to get to gas stations," Port Tampa Bay spokesperson Lisa Wolf-Chason said.
The port said its fuel terminal partners always had fuel ready to go out. However, deploying that fuel to gas stations was delayed, because the port’s private fuel terminals had no power.
READ: There's no immediate tropical threat to Florida after Milton, despite social media rumors
Wolf-Chason told FOX 13 that the port expects to have a nonstop flow of fuel tankers coming in and out by Saturday.
"Our fuel terminal operators have days and days’ worth of fuel to provide to the community. We also expect that fuel ships can start arriving at our port as early as tomorrow," Wolf-Chason said. "That will also help with the region’s fuel supply."
According to Port Tampa Bay, it supplies about 45% of the state’s fuel. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay area residents waited in long lines at gas stations that did have fuel as of Friday morning.
Some told FOX 13 they waited one to two hours to get gas at the Costco in Brandon.
"It’s crazy!"Riverview resident Shannon Curtis said, while looking at the Costco line. "Everyone’s desperate, because you can’t find it. And if a gas station does have it, they don’t have power."
The Pasco Sheriff’s Office asked residents to be patient Friday after receiving several calls about disputes and arguments at gas stations on Friday.
The Sarasota Police Department told residents to expect delays due to heavy traffic at the Wawa on Fruitville near downtown.
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