I was told there was a gas shortage in Asheville, NC, is that true?

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

Yes! Yes! Yes! The morning paper says pipeline from Texas can't keep up. I am holding my breath on 1/2 a tank, and I went out at 6AM this morning only to find the tanks for 30 miles are empty, and the attendants say they probably won't see any deliveries until the weekend. I live on a mountain 14 miles from town, hoping I can get back and forth to Asheville to work this week. The lines look like the rations during the 1970s with a 45 min wait for a pump that runs out (20 gal max). I saw EMS and Asheville's finest at one station yesterday and the cars lined up for 3 blocks (perhaps a dispute erupted on whose turn?). We have been told to stay home, but the tourists are already here trying to go back there. We're looking at business closures and economic disaster. I remember an editorial cartoon from the 1970s which showed cars circling a station to get enough gas to circle the station again. My son told me he had a boss that had enough gray matter last year to convert his Volvo to run on used kitchen grease...I'm flabbergasted (sounds like Back to the Future). Checked the internet to see if we have "state of emergency status,"...naugh...must be a Nero somewhere. Don't remember having this kind of problem when a democrat was in office.

Source(s):

Living in Western NC

Answer 2

Probably true - and if it's anything like the shortages in Nashville was the local media will initially dismiss it as a bunch of rednecks freaking out and trying to fill up everything.

Then you'll hear about a couple of stations turning away trucks while they had no gas. There will be no stories about this.

You'll hear the media blaming pipeline shutdowns, then you'll check and see the pipelines are fine and were only slowed for a day.

There will then be a panic and people will rush the pumps for hours and hours during the day. You'll notice there is gas at night.

Then you'll hear about the rage against people with gas cans. Wrecks at the gas pumps.

How everything around you has gas but not Asheville.

Then when things start to become normal after them media has been freaking people out they will blame the EPA on cleaner-burning low-sulpher mixes that have to be sold in larger cities.

That's how it was in Nashville. We're still mostly without gas though.

Answer 3

I live near downtown Asheville, and yes there is absolutely a gas shortage in Asheville, NC and a lot of the surrounding areas. The last couple days there have been deliveries, but so few of them to so few stations that long lines have sprung up around anyplace that has gas. Of course the station is out of gas again within a few hours on account of the non-stop refueling by gas thirsty motorists.

I did some research and this is what I have gathered:
-There's a gas reserve near where the pipeline comes out at the North/South Carolina border where we get our gas from.
-Because Gustav caused the refineries, pipeline segments and such to temporarily shut down, that supply got tapped into and partially used up.
-When Ike hit, the same thing happened, but there was nowhere near enough left in the reserve. There's still gas moving through the pipeline, but not enough to sustain business as usual.
-Now the available gas is getting rationed out to the different stations/companies around the area. The word from a local BP station is that their company is waiting in line to get gas from the pipeline, then we wait in line to get it from them. Whenever their company makes it through the queue, a gas truck shows up at their station. Once they have gas, everyone buys it all up real quick and they're out of gas again.

It is not helping that people are panicking and rushing the gas stations, but that's not the source of the problem. If there wasn't an actual shortage, it would be back to normal by now.

Source(s):

Me, my friends, co-workers and the gas station employees down the street. Wikipedia> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colonial_pipeline

Answer 4

Yes, that is completely true. I live in Asheville, NC and today is Tuesday, 9/23/08. Yesterday, I drove by 7 gas stations. Only two of them had gasoline left (others had diesel only) and those had mobs of cars, literally at least 100 cars waiting and stopping up traffic surrounding the station with police monitoring the situation and directing lines. People in classes have been asking me if I knew where to get gas - I told someone I heard there was some in Black Mountain, a nearby town. Someone piped up and said, well there was some in Black Mountain - I live there and it's gone today. The shortage has been getting steadily worse for at least a week. I have a quarter tank left and I'm considering using it to drive east to see if I can find gas.

Source(s):

personal experience

Answer 5

The gas stations really are running out, but the problem isn't just a shortage in our supply. The problem is people are freaking out and rushing to get in line, even if they are sitting with more than half a tank. So they wait in line for an hour - waste several gallons - just to fill right back up again. If the people in Asheville would only buy gas when they really needed it, we wouldn't run out so quickly. If other cities and towns near us aren't having this problem, why is Asheville having such a hard time?

I live over 7 miles away from my job - but today I'm borrowing a bike from a friend so that I can continue to go to work daily. I have just barely under a quarter of a tank left, and I absolutely refuse to sit in line for an hour with the other idiots.

Answer 6

Gas stations still run out quickly with long lines. But I think it's a combo of panic and shortage. Whatever the reason, I wonder what our Representative Heath Shuler has to say about it. I haven't heard anything and there's nothing I can find on the website. I don't always get to listen to local news. Anybody know?
I try to fill up when only necessary, but the last 2 days, there's been such long lines everywhere. I agree with filling up when necessary and following the 10 gallon or whatever limit. Then, maybe we won't run out so quickly.

Answer 7

Sunday night--daughter just called and reported Asheville at near stand still. Boyfriend is pizza driver for P. Johns, all deliveries stopped for no gas available. Also, what is there is $4.75 for regular. Here in Hickory, there are some outages, with the prevailing price in my area about $4. Fortunately for my daughter, she can walk to work and son living there can work from home (computer programmer) for a time.

Source(s):

personal phone call from family member

Answer 8

There is definitely a shortage all over the South East.
Considering the nature of the petroleum industry and just how important it is I would assume that they generate most of their own power on the spot. I am assuming this I do not know it as fact but it wouldn't seem like it would be beyond the boundary of possibility.
According to the news that I read on The Weather Channel there was minor damage to the petroleum infrastructure. Mostly consisting of "power outages at refineries and pumping stations that were causing slowdowns in production and shipping on the Colonial pipeline".
Come to think of it, I seem to remember from the Discovery channel that oil refineries produce most or all of their own power on site. It seems to me also that there should be back up generators at these"pumping stations, that are supplied by the fuel running through the pipeline itself, other wise when there was a black out in the region these pipe lines would grind to a halt.
HELLO, WE LIVE IN THE SOUTH AND ARE VERY PRONE TO BLACK OUTS, THIS IS AN EVEN BIGGER PROBLEM THE FURTHER SOUTH YOU GO!! I JUST DO NOT SEE THIS AS A REASONABLE EXCUSE FOR THE SHORTAGES THAT WE HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING.
Either someone is fibbing about how much damage was done, or they are dragging their feet getting power back on at these refineries and pumping stations. This would greatly benefit the oil industry, as they can legally over inflate the price until the power is "fixed". This seems very open ended, they can say it "going to take us as long as it takes us" and we have no recourse or any way to verify. Lucky for big oil huh?
And what about all of the folks paying for gas and oil futures at hugely inflated prices, someone, somewhere is going to make a fortune off of our misery and impoverishment.
So who or what do you think is responsible for this "crisis"?
It seems like there are those who are contriving to cause more despair out of this current crisis for their own gross profits. I guess that I must be paranoid or something.

Answer 9

I live in the asheville area and if you have not seen the news you need to take a look. Over the past several days people have been fighting and pulling weapons on each other for jumping lines at the gas pumps. People are sitting in line for hours just on the hopes of getting gas then having them run out. Police have been trying to keep things orderly at the few places that are getting gas, but I have personally never witnessed anything like this in my life. Fortunately for me, my husband stock piled about 50 gallons when we started hearing the news that gas was going to be short. Just so you know this is not a myth or something made up, this is real...

Answer 10

This is the second time in about a week that we've run out of gas in some stations in Asheville. I seriously doubt the problem is 'pure rumor'. That's just what they tell us so that everyone can go on thinking our government and our economy are just fine and that it's just 'all those other idiots' causing the problem.

Our economy is imploding due to a tremendously weakened dollar which is caused by all this printing of money by the federal reserve in order to bail out all the banks and fight an endless war intended to keep that cheap oil flowing.

The party can't last forever.

Answer 11

OMG YES!! it is horrible. we waited for 2 hours in the gas station and didnt get any. 2 guys got shot over gas and the school board will probably have to close school till it all blows over. its not only asheville, im in more of the hendersonville area and its been nearly impossible here and in other areas. if your lucky enough to get gas you can only get 10 gallons.people are getting gas stolen left and right. and since alot of the area is country and there are no side walks its impossible to walk or ride a bike. its really bad but for some reason no one can explain why.

Source(s):

i live there.

Answer 12

There is definitely a gas shortage in Asheville as of 12:45am on Tuesday, September 23, 2008. Only 1 station has gas in the downtown area and there is a very long wait. (Shell, on Merrimon Avenue) You can get in line somewhere on Broadway or Chestnut. People are angry and tempers are flaring up. I would suggest that we all go home and take a long walk in the morning. F- the gas companies....Let's just use less and then our surplus may return. BA

Source(s):

www.sugoasheville.com

Answer 13

I live in Charlotte, NC and most gas stations ran out of gas this week and the ones that still had gas started rationing it. Most gas stations have started getting shipments, but there are still stations that don't have gas. The Colonial Pipeline, which supplies gas to the east coast was shut down because of Hurricane Ike. That has led to some of the gas shortage.

Answer 14

I work for a catering company and deliver mostly in the Hendersonville area. I was there today and only ONE station that I passed had any gasoline. The lines were ridiculously long and police were everywhere trying to monitor the situation...I drove back to the Black Mountain area and took the exit at Long Shoals so I could see if Biltmore/Arden/Skyland had any on that side. One station had diesel, I believe, but that was it. 70 to Swannanoa to Blk Mtn has no gas...

I almost ran out several nights ago while on Patton. The only station a friend and I found was a Hot Spot on the Leicester Hwy. That same friend (who feared he couldn't make it to work today) told me that a Hot Spot near Woodfin had received a shipment...but by now, it's probably been depleted.

This is getting ridiculous. I have family in SC and even in Gastonia, NC who are saying that gas is easy to find and inexpensive (well, when I say that, I mean 3.85 a gallon instead of 4.29...). My boyfriend is at Myrtle and says the same...yet in Charleston, supposedly, they are having a shortage as well? It really isn't making sense. And even IF the hurricane has something to do with this, only about 6% of our refineries in the gulf were closed off for Ike...so, I'm thinking this is a little fishy, you know?

-.-

I hope there is some relief soon because I'm running out of gas, my job depends on a car, and considering the cost of EVERYTHING thanks to gas prices, I can barely afford to survive. I'm ready for Congress to stop piddling around and DO SOMETHING beneficial.

Answer 15

On Sunday evening some friends of mine had to borrow gas from another friend, because they had already driven the Asheville/W.Avl area and couldn't find a single place. What I want to know is why. If there is some major (recent) new event that keeps causing this, I seemed to have missed it... Also, it seems to be a problem mainly in the smoky mtn area, are we really that hard to supply here?

Source(s):

Personal Contact

Answer 16

Gas shortage.......spent 30 minutes looking for a station that had gas...drove by 10 different stations in downtown....finally found gas in a bad part of town....the only safety in getting gas there, the police had 3 cruisers across the street because someone had stole gas!!!

I've don't planning on going anywhere unnecessary until we get gas....on the local news, the police had to go to the local station to prevent fights amongst customers!! That's bad.....but yeah, we definitely are having a gas shortage.

Answer 17

I sat at the Hess on 19-23 for an hour around 1230pm was 3rd in line when they turned off the pumps, there were a half miles of cars behing me. I say turned off b/c they were saying this car was the last one. If they were out Why would they just allow several cars to fill up as much as they want then bag the pumps? WLOS ran a story last night saying quality plus on leicester hwy had gas but the police closed the pumps b/c of the traffic jam it was causing, are the APD incapable of directing traffic they did it in biltmore ave. a few years back b/c of a krystals, Why not for one of the few places with gas in the area? Quality gas stations receive gas from Ohio not the gulf area. So why are we not able to purchase gas that is in the ground? I have less than a quarter of a tank and drive 12 miles to work, I didnt attend my classes today b/c of saving gas for work this is a decision that should not have to be made. Why are no major news sources picking up on this story?

Source(s):

Personal experience as of 9-23-2008

Answer 18

It's not a "scam" or due to "panic". It's a supply interruption due to Hurricane Ike, and very real. The Asheville Citizen-Times has a page for reports on where to find gas. There's not much right now. Same is true in Tennessee, Georgia and a few other areas.

Local reports are being tracked at:
http://www.northcarolinagasprices.com/Forum_MSG.aspx?master=1&category=1214&topic=325989&page_no=1

Source(s):

www.gasbuddy.com; Asheville Citizen-Times; Atlanta Journal-Constitution; Chattanooga Times-Free Press and CNN

Answer 19

Libinnc ~ And WHERE was that gas station you work at again?? My friend posted but can't get back on to ask and REALLY needs gas to get to work ( like most of Asheville I am sure). Care to share? Perhaps the station name and a number to call so she doesn't have to waste the rest of her fumes and get stranded in town?


Secret - great info - only...how do those lovely folks at DOT expect folks already running on fumes to make it all the way to Morganton or Greenville, SC to get the gas??

I sure hope you all get some relief soon!!!

I am sure that you have already used and exhausted these - but have you checked the biofuels?

http://www.biodiesel.org/buyingbiodiesel/retailfuelingsites/default.shtm

click your state and you can get a list and try calling first....
Just a thought until things ease.

Source(s):

http://www.biodiesel.org/buyingbiodiesel/retailfuelingsites/default.shtm

Answer 20

Asheville has almost no gasoline. The Hess on Smokey Park had some earlier...but the city is out. AAA says it might be a week before we receive any additional shipments. Interestingly enough...I called Spinx and Hess in Greenville, SC and they currently have plenty of gasoline; however, the Kangaroos stations are out, too.

Answer 21

i live in asheville and yes, there is no gas.Most stations get shipments in the early mornings and are out by lunch. i had a friend last night go to get gas at 3am. But the ones who do have gas during the day have lines 3 hours long. fights are very common at the stations. the police have been posted outside of them lately.

Answer 22

I just went to 19 gas stations in Asheville and not a single one of them had gas. A vast majority are along Patton Ave, but some were not. Two of them were Mom & Pop stations off the beaten path, but still dry as the Gobi. What is irritating is that all the stations had their gas signs on. So me and dozens of others would pull in just to be let down. This is dated 9/22 b/t 6:30-8:00 pm.

Answer 23

Yes. But here's a current list of stations with gas:
Hess on Hendersonville Road new West Chapel Road
Citistop on Merrimon Avenue at Meadow Road
BP Station at Sweeten Creek and Rock HIll Roads
Pilot Station at Sweeten Creek and Rock Hill Roads
Exxon at 2101 Hendersonville Road and Long Shoals Road
BP at 411 Merrimon Avenue and Coleman Avenue
Fast Stop at 627 Smoky Park Highway near Cooper Boulevard
Shell at 301 Smoky Park Highway near I-40 Exit 44
Trade Mart #0261 at 648 Hendersonville Road, Asheville

Source(s):

Citizen Times Newspaper & Call Around

Answer 24

I live in Asheville as well and yes it is true. I have gone to 18 gas stations this morning, including gas stations that were listed as having gas and every single one of them is out of gas.

And.... to top it off... I wasted what little gas I had, trying to find gas. I am a merchandiser so I have to drive for a living.... I don't know what we are going to do if we do not get gas up here soon.

This is NOT due to panic! When people are only allowed to get 25 dollars of gas at 4.75 gallon - well, just do the math!!! It doesn't get you very far in the mountains!

People are PUSHING their cars to gas stations. Cars are left on the side of the road, out of gas. This is not panic, something is terribly wrong!

ETA: I went to all of the gas stations in Cheryl H's post except for the two on Smokey Park Hwy. They were ALL OUT. Every single one of them.

Hendersonville did not have gas either. Truck stop in Fletcher was out as well as the gas stations on Hendersonville Hwy as of 1 PM

http://citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a…

Answer 25

I don't know where the person that said Hendersonville has plenty of gas got their information but it is totally false. There is NO gas in Hendersonville and as far as I can find, only one station in Henderson County that DOES have gas. WAIT .... HOLD THE PRESSES!! I just talked to the guy that owns the convenience store I work at and there is a tanker pulling in as we speak. But he said it would be gone before 5 so I am still SOL. I guess I get to take a few days off. I drive 21 miles one way to work. Can't do that long on fumes!!

Source(s):

Personal information .... Phone calls

Answer 26

Absolutely. People are waiting almost 2 hours in some places to get gas. It is ridiculous. I've heard so many stories as to why there is a significant gas shortage here. I can't decide which one it is. Does anybody have any thoughts? Does anyone really know why there is a gas shortage?

Answer 27

Yep! About the only way to get gas is to stalk a station at 5am. If they get a shipment in they will let you have about $30 worth at an average of $4 a gallon. Check out citizen-times.com and WLOS.com and you will see all kinds of coverage about our problem.

Source(s):

Asheville Resident

Answer 28

I read about this earlier. Nashville, TN also has a problem. The panic buying has emptied some gas stations, and was caused by pure rumour. Best thing is to buy gas when you need it, and not add to the problem.

Answer 29

yes!! I work in Arden & people are having trouble getting to work alot have been stranded out of gas. people were lined up on sweeten creek all day, hours at a time & couldn't get in to get gas.
Its crazy to say the least.

Answer 30

Yes it is true. I cannot find a station that has any. What a lot of BS. Is it the hurricane, the election or the rich oil people? The hurricane wasn't as bad as Katrina and this did not happen.

Answer 31

I looked all over today in Asheville, and found no gas. A friend of mine waited 3 hours to get gas today.So the rumor is true, and don't let the anyone tell you different.

Source(s):

Experience