TAMPA — While the Colonial Pipeline disruption and subsequent race to the pumps has left some Bay area gas stations running on fumes, gas prices are holding steady. 

What You Need To Know

  • Tampa Bay area gas prices remain steady

  • AAA says pipeline disruption hasn’t affected gas supply

  • High demand caused temporary shortages

Drivers in Florida are paying an average of $2.89 for a gallon of regular, which is just one cent more than the previous week, according to AAA. In the Tampa area, the average price for a gallon is $2.85. 

On Monday morning, a number of gas stations were either out of gas or had a limited supply following multiple days of high demand. 

“It’s been crazy. We’ve been everywhere delivering gas everywhere,” said Jose Crespo of Florida Rock & Tank Lines. “They’ve been crazy at the office right now. They don’t even know what to do.” 

Mark Jenkins, spokesperson for AAA, says that gas prices aren’t being affected because there’s plenty of supply.

“A lot of the supply issues that we saw were manufactured, just by strong demand,” he explained. “The gasoline kept coming in. We just kept consuming it at a higher rate.” 

Jenkins says pipeline issues can have a serious impact in other parts of the country, but in Florida, they won’t always affect gas prices. 

“Gas prices didn’t really rise that much because there’s still gasoline. There wasn’t an issue of gasoline production. It was just about getting the gasoline where it needs to go,” he said. 

Jenkins believes that as fuel companies catch up and demand stays steady, gas stations should be back to normal operations by mid week. ​