Gasoline prices are up 21 cents a gallon from last Friday. Reports of a gasoline shortage due to Hurricane Harvey have driven up prices throughout the Southeast.
Prices which jumped on Thursday rose an additional 7 cents a gallon Friday to a national average of $2.52 per gallon.
In Johnston County, prices at the pump still varied widely on Friday. In Selma, the New Dixie Mart on US 70 at I-95 was selling regular unleaded at $2.69 per gallon. Just a few miles away at the Kangaroo on Brightleaf Boulevard in Smithfield prices were $2.45 a gallon, a 24 cents difference.
Prices for gasoline traditionally fall after the Labor Day Holiday weekend, but concerns about a number of Texas refineries being closed following Harvey prompted prices to increase. Most of the refineries suffered only minimal storm damage and should be back online in days not weeks, meaning the price spike should be temporary with fuel prices returning to normal by mid to late September.
Gas prices jumped about 20 cents a gallon in September 2016 in Johnston County when a section of the Colonial Pipeline, which supplies fuel to much of the Southeast, was damaged.
Gas prices at some fuel stations in Texas are now in excess of $4 a gallon.
