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A video shared on Twitter by a Florida-based user on Sunday shows what seems to be a fight breaking out at a pump in southern Florida, a region that's currently being affected by a significant gas shortage.
"They really [are] about to fight out here over gas," the Miami-based woman, whose Twitter handle is @TrainLikeDime, wrote on Sunday, sharing a video in which she said four people were fighting over who should go next at the pump. The clip shows what looks like three drivers arguing but it's not clear what exactly they're discussing. The Twitter user who posted the video said it took her 40 minutes to get gas.
Other Twitter users have been sharing their experience of struggling to find a station which still had gas, posting images of pumps with signs attached to them saying: "No gas." "So... what gas station in South Florida still has gas?," tweeted CBS News Miami correspondent Cristian Benavides while posting one of these images, adding that he finally found gas at a station in Doral.
Southern Florida has been affected by gas shortages after last week's extreme weather—including flooding—disrupted the regular distribution and delivery of the precious liquid. Heavy rain in eastern Broward County last week caused floods in Port Everglades roads, preventing truck drivers from making fuel deliveries.
Local news media have reported long lines at the pumps over the weekend at stations across Miami-Dade and Broward counties. The Miami Herald reported that some drivers waited for up to an hour on Sunday afternoon to get gas at stations along U.S. 1.
Daniella Levine Cava, mayor of Miami-Dade County, wrote about the issue on Twitter, writing that the county "is working closely with our state & federal partners to ensure gas is being distributed as quickly as possible to local stations."
On Sunday afternoon, Port Everglades issued a statement asking the public to remain patient, adding that there was ample supply of gas and "deliveries will continue to increase." The gas shortage is expected to be resolved soon and is considered to be linked strictly to the extreme weather that hit the region last week.
Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, told Newsweek that there isn't really a shortage in southern Florida. "Deliveries to stations were stopped briefly because of tremendous rainfall in Southeast Florida, which caused some stations to run low," he said.
"Now, more motorists are driving around looking for gasoline, boosting consumption, and feeling nervous about supply so they're also buying more gasoline than they usually do, further straining a system that's 24-48 hours behind. Stations are having a hard time making up lost time, and if more motorists turn to this kind of panicked buying, it will further strain supply. If, however, motorists could delay refilling a day or two, or just buy what they immediately need, avoid filling up, stations could likely resupply themselves faster, and the situation would be over quicker."
Mark Jenkins, spokesperson for AAA, told The Palm Beach Post that gasoline terminals at Port Everglades are "already back in service" and that "fuel supplies in the area should get back to normal in the coming days."
Gas prices in Florida have been spiraling upwards in recent weeks, rising 12 cents per gallon in the beginning of April. On April 17, the average gas price in Florida was $3.562 per gallon.
Newsweek has contacted Gov. Ron DeSantis' press team for comment by email, and has reached out to the Miami-based woman who posted the video of the "fight" on Twitter via Instagram.
About the writer
Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property ... Read more