Hurricane Isaac Expected to Cause Steep Increase in Chicago Area Gas Prices

Gas prices nationwide could increase by 10 cents or more by this time next week.

Officials from AAA said that Hurricane Issac, which made landfall in southeast Louisiana Tuesday night, will shut down offshore oil rigs.

The National Hurricane Center was upgraded from a tropical storm to a Category 1 hurricane earlier in the day. The storm is producing wind gusts of more than 80 mph, could dump up to 20 inches of rain in some areas.

According to gasbuddy.com, the cheapest unleaded gas available in Downers Grove as of Tuesday was $3.99 per gallon at , 2181 63rd St. Gas was over the $4 mark at several area stations, and will likely continue to climb through Labor Day.

Nationwide, the average price for a gallon of unleaded was $3.79 on Tuesday, up nearly 30 cents from a month ago.

Hurricane Isaac targeted a broad swath of the Gulf Coast on Tuesday, bearing down just ahead of the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

The potential for a landfall as a Category 1 hurricane earlier in the week prompted evacuations along a wide area of the Gulf Coast and sent people out to stock up on staples.

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