Where To Find Gas In Atlanta: Hurricane Irma

ATLANTA, GA -- As Hurricane Irma closes in on Florida and Georgia, gas prices in metro Atlanta are rising steadily, prompting drivers to fuel up in case supplies are affected. At several gas stations around Buckhead, prices hovered close to $3 a gallon.

The Shell gas prices at West Paces Ferry and Northside Parkway were at $2.99 a gallon on Friday, according to the app Gasbuddy. (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.)

Prices were expected to rise in the days ahead as Irma was projected to hit metro Atlnata as early as Sunday night, with winds up to 50 mph and 3 inches of rain in Douglas County. Click here to get a link sent to your cell phone to download the gasbuddy.com app.

The Exxon at Piedmont Road and Monroe Drive in Midtown posted prices of $2.89 a gallon on Friday afternoon. On the southside of town, the Racetrac at Camp Creek and Commerce Drive was at $2.75 a gallon.

Last week, Gov. Nathan Deal took steps to ease the effect Hurricane Harvey was having on Georgia's fuel prices and supply. It is unclear if Deal will take further actions for Irma.

Watch: Florida Braces As Irma Rips Across The Caribbean

Deal said last week that he petitioned the federal government for help with gas prices in the state. "I applied for, and received, a fuel waiver from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)."This waiver will help ensure our fuel supply remains uninterrupted."

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For storm-fleeing motorists who didn't want to make the trek to Atlanta, Airbnb was offering free housing in several cities along the Florida-Georgia border.

"All service fees are waived for those affected by the disaster and checking in between September 06, 2017 and September 28, 2017," Airbnb said this week. The company activated its Disaster Response Program, which allows users to offer their residences to evacuees for free.

In Florida, residences in these counties were covered under Airbnb's Disaster Response Program: Leon County, Calhoun County, Franklin County, Jackson County, Liberty County, Gadsden County, Gulf County, Wakulla County, Madison County, Jefferson County, Taylor County
In Georgia, the program was active in the following counties: Decatur County, Grady County, Thomas County.

As the storm approached, South Georgia was expected to experience high winds and heavy rains, raising the possibility of several hazards, including downed trees and power lines.

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Image via Craig Johnson / Patch