Gas Prices Up In Triangle While Falling Elsewhere In N.C.

At an average of $3.13 per gallon for regular unleaded fuel -- and rising -- the Triangle was the highest in North Carolina, according to an

Elsewhere, prices fell in cities including Asheville, Fayetteville, Wilmington and Greensboro. The lowest average price for gas in a metro area in North Carolina was recorded in Wilmington at $3.01 a gallon, according the gas price report.

Prices were observed going up overnight in Raleigh. Mark Roberts, WRAL-TV's traffic reporter, noted that a north Raleigh gas station that listed prices for $2.89 Thursday was at $2.99 a gallon Friday morning.

The prices have spiked in the past week after Hurricane Katrina slammed the Gulf Coast, knocking out refineries and gas pipelines that flow to North Carolina. However, the pipelines were repaired by early this week. The Triangle's average gas price has fallen from $3.20 last weekend.

North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper met this week with industry members to get a better understanding of what's going on with price fluctuations.

The meeting came after more than 500 people called his office complaining about gas prices. Thirty people filed written complaints.

So far, Cooper hasn't taken any legal action. A spokeswoman told WRAL it's "too soon to tell" if anything illegal is happening.