Easley: Gas shortage continues to ease

Raleigh, N.C. — Gov. Mike Easley’s office said Tuesday that no counties or cities were completely out of gasoline as supplies picked up following nearly a month of shortages.

All fuel terminals in the state reported diesel was in stock, a spokeswoman said Tuesday.

Following damage to Gulf Coast oil facilities from hurricanes Gustav and Ike, a gas supply shortage caused some Triangle stations to sporadically run out of gas, either completely or of one or two fuel grades, over the past few weeks. Western areas were harder hit; only one in seven gas stations was open in Charlotte at one point.

Officials in western North Carolina counties and in the Charlotte area said gas deliveries were improving, according to a press release from Easley's office Tuesday.

Sporadic outages in a few areas, including the Triangle, continued, but the long lines from the past two weeks in the western counties have diminished, officials said.

Oil companies were still working on getting full allocations of gasoline and diesel to all stations, including independently owned ones. Easley’s office urged people to remain reasonable and to conserve gas for “a little longer.”