Gas prices shaken up ahead of Labor Day weekend because of Hurricane Ida, AAA says
Travelers hitting the road this Labor Day weekend could see some volatility in gas prices due to the impact of Hurricane Ida on the Gulf Coast, AAA auto club said.
“Ida’s impact at the pump will be felt for many drivers as we head into the final stretch of the summer driving season this Labor Day holiday weekend,” said AAA spokesperson Nick Chabarria in a news release. “However, the pump price increases caused by the large hurricane should only be temporary.”
Hurricane Ida, one of the strongest and most-damaging storms to reach the U.S., came on shore Sunday, impacting gas and oil production in the Gulf Coast.
Operations could resume for many of those facilities in the coming weeks, AAA said. Refineries were still inspecting their infrastructure to assess a timeline for safely resuming operations.
Colonial Pipeline announced Tuesday morning that operations have returned to normal after shutting down over the weekend. The pipeline restart should help minimize additional price jumps, AAA said.
Kansas and Missouri drivers are paying among the cheapest price for gas in the United States. The price per gallon of regular gas was $2.86 in Missouri and $2.92 in Kansas on Friday, according to AAA Gas Prices. The national average was $3.18.
For both Kansas and Missouri, gas prices were 3 cents a gallon higher compared to Friday of last week and 92 cents more per gallon compared to this time a year ago.
This story was originally published September 3, 2021 at 10:56 AM.
