Spiking gas prices pose new obstacle to Hurricane Harvey recovery

World Today

Sean Callebs

Sean Callebs

Published September 3, 2017 at 8:32 PM
Updated October 26, 2017 at 2:53 PM

Authorities in the Houston area have said it will take 10 to 15 days for floodwaters to recede. Meanwhile, mandatory evacuations and high gas-prices have hit the area even harder.

CGTN’s Sean Callebs reports.

Houston is a long way from returning to normal. Rising floodwaters badly hit the area’s economic linchpin: the oil and gas industries.
Many oil refineries in southeast Texas are under water, including the nation’s largest refinery in the town of Port Arthur.

As a result, there are some gasoline shortages. This occurred after the price of gas immediately spiked, right after the hurricane dissipated.

The clean-up has begun in earnest in Houston and the surrounding area. Even so, many roads remain flooded, and most of the region’s refineries are still not producing.

A jump in gas prices is understandable, given the scope of the devastation. But many in the region are furious, coming across incidents of price gouging. Some greedy businesses are preying on people caught in a miserable position.

People are sharing stories on social media. One man was charged a whopping $9.99 per gallon of gas, almost four times the national average.

Another man shared a picture of a gas station sign, advertising gas for nearly $10 a gallon.

Damage from Harvey could exceed $180-billion, according to the Texas governor. The last thing tired, frustrated residents want is an unfair punch at the pump.