Running on Empty: Atlanta Gas Shortages

Smyrna, Georgia -- In the wake of hurricanes Gustav and Ivan, several cities in the southeastern United States are nearly paralyzed by fuel shortages. Cities including Atlanta, Raleigh, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Ashboro, and Chattanooga have all been affected by shortages. In Atlanta, shortages have forced motorists to undertake extensive searches for fuel and then to wait in long lines at gas stations. This article recounts my personal experiences looking for gas and provides a survey of the gas situation in the Atlanta's Vinings neighborhood and the town of Smyrna.

After two weeks of very conservative driving habits, my wife and I were in serious need of gasoline. On the way home from work on the afternoon of Friday, September 27, I noticed that the four gas stations I normally pass during my commute were completely sold out. On Friday night, during the presidential debate, I drove to another six gas stations in the Atlanta area around Smyrna and Vinings. All six were completely out of gas. We were really worried about whether we would be able to make it through another work weekwithout refueling.

On Saturday, September 28, Atlanta television news featured non-stop stories about gas shortages and gas lines. In the evening, my wife and I set out to get gas for our Chevy Cavalier figuring that many locals would be distracted by the big Georgia-Alabama football game, first we went to the QuikTrip in the historic Vinings neighborhood and found it empty. We heard that gas stations around the Atlanta Road and I-285 interchange might have gas and set a course in that direction.