Fuel prices continued in a schizophrenic manner this last week, as gas shortages hit the Southeastern U.S. very hard. While the average around the nation stayed at a modest $3.64 per gallon, southern states, such as Georgia, Alabama, the Carolinas, and Tennessee witnessed gas stations that were bone-dry. And the gas stations that still had gas had lines of cars waiting two hours to fuel up.

Much of the blame for the spike in price recently, goes to Hurricanes Ike and Gustav, but the Southeastern states have an added burden on their shoulders because there is minimal refining and fuel storage capacity in that region. Pipelines that start in Texas provide the majority of their gas.

Because Ike came so quickly after Gustav, refineries in Texas practically sat idle for about a month, and the small amount of inventory that the Southeast was able to accrue dried up. Over the last three weeks, the region has felt the pinch of the limited supply.

Unfortunately, circumstances in the southeast have left many motorists stranded after running out of gas. Auto road service calls were high due to this problem, which is why it is always a good idea to have a good roadside assistance program in case of emergencies.