Tropical Storm Isaac unsurprisingly leads to more pain at the pump.
Oil production in the Gulf of Mexico has come to a halt and oil refineries have shut down. Steve Ray worries about the Labor day holiday weekend. He purchased gas for his service station in Ooltewah Wednesday to make sure they have enough for the weekend. Ray said, "It's just scary when things like this happen. The economy is so fragile. $2.99 a gallon of gas the beginning of summer, and now its $3.65 and climbing like a bullet."
We caught up with a Florida native buying gas and she said she's not surprised.
Don Vazquez said, "You just kind of come to expect it I guess, do what you have to do. You have to have gas. So unfortunately that's what you have to deal with as part of the packages with the hurricanes and storms and any kind of bad weather." One Midnite Oil customer will continue to drive to their holiday weekend destination in Pennsylvania. She isn't letting the price of gas stop her. Kimberly Simpson said, "I'm very nervous about it. All week I was keeping my eye on the pump. As the prices are going up, I know its going to be an expensive week for me, so it does make me a little nervous."
According to AAA, Georgia and Tennessee's average gas prices have both increased 6 cents from last week. AAA officials say motorists will likely see gas prices continue to increase right through the Labor Day holiday weekend.
