Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., reveals how the state is dealing with the threat of Hurricane Milton on Cavuto: Coast to Coast.
Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida late Wednesday evening and residents in areas affected by the life-threatening storm will likely see disruptions to gasoline supplies until the storm passes and shipments resume.
Gas shortages were reported earlier this week at stations in parts of central Florida as residents in the area filled their tanks and headed to destinations outside Milton’s path. Others stocked up on gasoline to fuel generators that would keep the lights on in the event of a power outage.
The American Petroleum Institute (API), which represents the U.S. oil and natural gas industry, said industry members are working with government officials to address supply issues and pave the way for a return to normal operations as soon as possible.
“Our industry is closely monitoring Hurricane Milton and will work with state and federal officials to help alleviate supply issues and ensure normal operations can resume as quickly and safely as possible after the storm passes,” said API spokesperson Scott Lauermann in a statement to FOX. Company.
HURRICANE MILTON CAUSES GAS SHORTAGE IN FLORIDA AS RESIDENTS FLEE STORM
People line up in their cars for fuel at a gas station just before Hurricane Milton’s expected landfall in Lakeland, Florida. (Photo by MIGUEL J. RODRIGUEZ CARRILLO/AFP via Getty Images/Getty Images)
An ExxonMobil spokesperson told FOX Business: “Our primary focus is on the safety and well-being of our employees and Communities in Florida. We recognize that fuel supply is critical, and we are working to supply our Port Everglades fuel terminal with gasoline and diesel fuel to support local emergency responders and community needs.”
“We are prepared to continue operating our Port Everglades fuel terminal 24 hours a day, and we are ready for increased truck traffic to help get fuel where it is needed,” ExxonMobil’s statement continued. “We are also working with others in the industry, including third-party distributors, to supply gas stations as efficiently and safely as possible to meet fuel needs.”
FOX Business also reached out to Chevron, ConocoPhillips and Shell about efforts to limit supply chain disruptions and plans to resume operations after the storm.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| XOM | EXXON MOBIL CORP. | 122.09 | +0.05 |
+0.04% |
| CVX | CHEVRON CORP. | 149.65 | +0.90 |
+0.61% |
| COP | CONOCOPHILLIPS | 110.97 | +0.17 |
+0.15% |
| SHELL | SHELL PLC | 68.22 | -0.05 |
-0.07% |
‘WAFFLE HOUSE INDEX’ SHOWS FLORIDA CLOSURES AS HURRICANE APPROACHES MILTON
Fuel trucks leave Port Everglades ahead of Hurricane Milton on October 9, 2024 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Photo by James D. Morgan/Getty Images/Getty Images)
An update from the office of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis noted that 25 Florida Highway Patrol Troopers escorted fuel trucks from Port Tampa and SeaPort Manatee to gas stations in the Tampa area from Tuesday evening through Wednesday morning.
“Additional forces will continue these escorts 24 hours a day as long as it is safe to do so until landing,” the update said.
Inbound and outbound shipping traffic at Port Tampa Bay has been halted, as have several others Florida Seaports waiting for the storm. The Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) noted that 43% of Florida’s petroleum products, including gasoline and diesel, move through Port Tampa Bay.
“The duration of the port closures and the impact of Hurricane Milton on oil and natural gas trade movements remain uncertain,” EIA wrote on Wednesday.
HURRICANE MILTON: WHAT SHOULD EV OWNERS DO BEFORE AND AFTER STORM?
Tankers and cargo ships that transport goods between U.S. ports must comply with the Jones Act. (Photo by DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images/Getty Images)
An unclear one shipping law known as the Jones Act could potentially impact the resumption of regular gasoline deliveries to Florida. The law requires that goods transported by water between U.S. ports be carried on U.S.-flagged, U.S.-registered vessels that are also American-owned, crewed and domestically operated built.
Colin Grabow, associate director at the Cato Institute’s Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies, told FOX Business that the Jones Act “is relevant to Florida because Florida is essentially an energy island — there are no interstate pipelines connecting it connect to, for example, the Colonial Pipeline, or whatever refineries along the Gulf Coast.”
In the distance from St. Petersburg, Florida, a thunderstorm can be seen over Tampa ahead of Hurricane Milton’s expected landfall mid-week. (BRYAN R. SMITH/AFP via Getty Images/Getty Images)
As a result, Florida is highly dependent on the sea transports of fuel as well as shipments brought in from neighboring states. However, relatively few tankers comply with the Jones Act. Grabow explained that of the global fleet of 7,500 tankers, only 55 meet the law’s requirements.
“I think in emergencies you want to have as much flexibility as possible, as many options as possible. And this law means we will have far fewer ships to choose from to transport supplies and fuel to Florida when we need to.”
Grabow noted that there have been several Jones Act waivers in response to hurricanes, including notable examples from President George W. Bush in response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005, President Trump for Hurricane Maria in 2017 and President Biden for Hurricane Fiona in 2022.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
These waivers have proven politically controversial, especially the most recent waiver from 2022, where a BP tanker departing Texas en route to the Netherlands had offloaded fuel in Puerto Rico. Grabow said supporters of the Jones Act argued that such waivers should only be issued for ships that are empty at the time the waivers are issued.
“The result is that if this were to repeat itself, a lot of people are thinking, ‘well, the government can just waive the Jones Act,’ but it has become much more difficult to issue those waivers since Biden did so two years ago and since Trump seven years ago after Hurricane Maria,” Grabow said.
