Hurricane Milton evacuation: These are the Florida gas stations facing fuel shortages

According to Gas Buddy, as of noon on Wednesday, nearly a quarter of gas stations are out of fuel as Hurricane Milton barrels towards the state, preparing to make landfall. In the areas expected to be hardest hit by the storm, including Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg, and Sarasota, nearly half of stations have run out of fuel.

This is a perilous position for the state, as people are in the final hours of preparing for the storm. Those who stay behind will likely need fuel on hand if they lose power, and if roads flood, no new fuel can enter the affected areas.

Gas Buddy compiles crowd-sourced data on gas stations and can be used to find out which are fully operational in your area. This website will show you the most up-to-date list of which stations still have fuel, as this information will shift rapidly as the storm passes.

Reserves still stocked in Florida, says Gov. DeSantis

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said on Wednesday that the state has considerable fuel reserves and is in staging grounds, ready to be deployed after the worst moments of the storm have passed. The Governor has been reluctant to say that the state, or even certain areas, is experiencing a fuel shortage and has cited the reserves as a way to relieve any stress from the public.

As evacuations were underway on Tuesday, the Governor’s office announced that they would be bringing in fuel and EV chargers to areas along evacuation routes to ensure that no cars ran out of fuel or battery as they traveled towards safety. Additionally, additional shipments of fuel were brought into Tampa to replenish the supply after the storm and the recovery efforts get underway.