ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida gas prices jumped 15 cents last week as South Florida dealt with the aftermath of historic flooding.
Fort Lauderdale experienced more than 26 inches of rain in a 24-hour period, causing widespread gasoline outages, according to AAA. The flooding prevented fuel trucks from accessing the gasoline terminals at Port Everglades, a hub for the majority of filling stations in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach.
“It’s really isolated to Florida. We saw the national average hold steady last week, but the state average here in Florida jumped up about 15 cents per gallon,” AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said. “Some of the metro areas saw gas prices even higher than that. In Orlando, gas prices jumped up about 23 cents per gallon.”
Fuel from Orlando, Tampa, Port Canaveral and Jacksonville were driven down to offset the shortage, AAA said. The reallocation of fuel brought gas prices up to an average of $3.72 per gallon on Friday, a new 2023 high.
As of Sunday, the average price per gallon in Florida was $3.71, but Jenkins said gas prices should fall soon.
“The hope is that gas prices will come back down rather quickly, but how quick, we just don’t really know,” Jenkins said.
Regional Prices
- Most expensive metro markets – West Palm Beach-Boca Raton ($3.88), Port St. Lucie ($3.77), Naples ($3.77)
- Least expensive metro markets – Crestview-Fort Walton Beach ($3.38), Pensacola ($3.39), Panama City ($3.40)
Ways to save on gasoline
- Combine errands to limit driving time.
- Shop around for the best gas prices in your community.
- Consider paying cash. Some retailers charge extra per gallon for customers who pay with a credit card.
- Remove excess weight in your vehicle.
- Drive conservatively. Aggressive acceleration and speeding reduces fuel economy.
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