Tue | May 5, 2026

Cars lining up for gas as supplies dwindle

Published:Thursday | August 31, 2017 | 12:00 AM
AP
Frances Breaux cried yesterday as she talked about her fears for two close friends who live near the Arkema Inc. chemical plant in Crosby, Texas. Breaux said her close friends, an elderly couple that lives close to the plant, had not been heard from. The Houston-area chemical plant, which lost power after Harvey engulfed the area in extensive floods, was rocked by multiple explosions early yesterday, the plant’s operator said.

HOUSTON, Texas (AP):

Filling fuel tanks has become increasingly difficult in parts of Texas where some stations are out of gas and pump costs have risen steeply.

In Dallas, lines of cars a block long were common for the few gas stations that had gasolene to sell yesterday. The scene was reminiscent of the gas lines seen during the Arab oil embargo of the 1970s.

One Chevron station in downtown Dallas that sold regular gas for $2.29 a gallon just before the storm was charging $2.99 yesterday. Others charged well over $3, and one downtown Shell station charged $3.97 for a regular gallon of gas. At three gas stations in north Dallas, yellow bags or caution tape was wrapped around pumps just after noon.

 

Halt in sales

 

The supply crunch has prompted QuikTrip, one of the nation's largest convenience store chains, to temporarily halt gasolene sales at about half its 135 stores in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Instead, gasolene deliveries are going to designated stores across all parts of the metro area, QuikTrip spokesman Mike Thornbrugh said.

The Texas attorney general's office said anyone seeing gas prices of $4 or higher should take pictures and report the stations as price-gouging.