1. Gas prices could rise as high as $2.75 per gallon, but won’t stay there

Officials said panic buying, along with logistical issues such as closed roads in the Houston area – and not a real lack of supply – are behind reports of gas shortages in East Texas that resulted in long lines at the pumps.

In Dallas, some gas stations are reportedly out of gas, but more supplies are on the way. In Tyler, lines formed Thursday at gas stations throughout the city.

Dozens of cars lined up and filtered through the gas station at Walmart on Earl Campbell Parkway late Thursday afternoon. Some people came in groups to fill their tanks with gas, while others brought extra containers to fill with fuel to take home. Others were simply running on empty and wondering why the lines were so long.

“I read on Facebook that there’s no gasoline in Dallas,” Sharon Anderson said as she waited at the gas pump outside of her midsized SUV. “I really don’t need gas right now – I’ve got three quarters of a tank – but I’m topping off.”

In addition to social media, in-person word of mouth was contributing to peoples’ decisions to hit the gas pumps Thursday: “I heard that Dallas was out of gas when I got my new glasses (at the optometrist). This (person) came in and she said that they’re starting to fill up here, so you better get some gas,” Dollie Chase said as she struggled to get her pump to work due to malfunctioning screen prompts.

By early evening, some stores had signs on the pumps indicating they were out of regular gas.

But officials said there’s no need for panic.

“While some refineries have shut down or are operating at reduced capacity due to Hurricane Harvey, plenty of refining capacity is still online and we have more than 230 million barrels of gasoline supply in Texas to meet needs,” Railroad Commissioner Ryan Sitton said Thursday. “Citizens have no need to fear shortages even though prices could climb during the next few weeks until all refining capacity is back online.”

Texas Railroad Commission Chairwoman Christi Craddick took to Twitter to explain the panic.

“Pls stay calm and DO NOT perpetuate rumors,” she tweeted. “There is currently NO shortage of gasoline in Texas due to #Harvey.”

There are stations with no gas, she acknowledged.

“There’s no gas shortage, but logistics issues being addressed as we speak,” she tweeted. “Gas may be sporadic, but available. Hang tight.”

She added that consumers can expect gas prices to climb by up to 35 cents per gallon in the coming weeks.

That’s the reason Audranne Williams decided to sit in line for gas, saying that she wanted to go ahead and fill her tank up before prices rose any more.

Apparent gas shortages are often caused by panic buying – when people hear of shortages, they rush out to fill up their own tanks. But officials say there’s plenty of supply, and little severe damage to the refineries on the coast.

A major gasoline pipeline may be able to resume shipping fuel from the Houston area by Sunday, its operator said, potentially mitigating gasoline shortages across the southern United States since Hurricane Harvey forced Gulf Coast refineries to close.

But filling tanks was already becoming difficult Thursday in central Texas, where some stations were out of gas and pump costs have risen steeply.

A quick, unscientific survey shows gas prices in the Tyler area between $2.19 and $2.29, up from about $2.07 to $2.09 in recent days.

Multimedia journalist Chelsea Purgahn and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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