Labor Day 2017: Maryland Gas Prices Spiking Because Of Hurricane Harvey

ANNAPOLIS, MD — If you're one of the nearly 2 million Maryland drivers likely to hit the highway this Labor Day weekend, expect to pay a few more bucks at the gas pump thanks, at least in part, to Hurricane Harvey. In Maryland, most schools will open after Labor Day this year for the first time in over two decades, giving families one last extended weekend summer getaway.

And as they pile the family in the SUV, drivers will pay more to fill up the tank. On Wednesday, the average price for a gallon of gas in Maryland was $2.36, which is a 6-cent increase from a week and month ago and a 14 cents more than a year ago, AAA Mid-Atlantic says. The national gas price average on Aug. 30 was $2.40; that reflects a 6-cent increase from a week ago.

Drivers filling up for the Labor Day weekend will likely pay the highest prices for the holiday since 2015 because of Hurricane Harvey, says AAA spokeswoman Christine Delise. The combination of Labor Day travel, resulting in higher gasoline demand, and the tightened supply levels in the Gulf Coast means consumers are likely to see gas prices increase up to 15 cents in the coming week.

SEE ALSO:

• Harvey Continues Wrath While Houston Rescues And Recovers
• Labor Day Weekend 2017: Best Times To Travel Bay Bridge, 1.8M Maryland Drivers On Roads

Check AAA's gas price site for current prices in Maryland

With some refineries and pipelines shut down in Texas and Louisiana as Harvey barrels through, fuel supply delivery volumes to the Mid-Atlantic region will be squeezed, Delise says, as refineries on the East Coast and other regions ship gasoline in September to the affected Gulf states to offset refinery downtime. If exports surge, this could drive gas prices even higher, potentially topping the 2017 gas price average high of $2.42 in March.

However, this should be a short-term price spike. AAA officials expect prices to drop by mid-to-late September, when refiners should be back online and gas stations begin selling the cheaper winter-blend gasoline.

About 37.2 million Americans are expected to travel for Labor Day weekend, the AAA's highest estimate for the holiday since 2008 and up from 35.5 million in 2015, the last time the auto club did a Labor Day travel estimate.

SIGN UP: Get Patch’s daily newsletter and real-time news alerts, or like us on Facebook. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.
Photo via Pixabay