Labor Day Travel: Gas Prices Spiking Due To Hurricane Harvey

ATLANTA, GA — If you're planning on traveling this Labor Day weekend, expect to pay a few more bucks at the pump thanks, at least in part, to Hurricane Harvey.

Georgia motorists can expect to spend an extra 10-30 cents per gallon for gasoline this week, said AAA auto club spokeswoman Megan Osborne. Those prices already were expected to inch upward as holiday travelers hit the road, but are getting pushed even higher because of the storm that has ravaged the Gulf Coast in Texas — home to many of the nation's oil refineries.

"One out of every five barrels of gasoline produced in the United States has been threatened by Harvey," Osborne said. "For Georgia, we don't expect there to be any supply disruption in the short term, but what we do anticipate is an increase in gas prices."

Much of metro Atlanta's gasoline is provided by the Colonial Pipeline, which runs from Houston through Atlanta and on up into the Northeast.

On Monday, regular unleaded in the Atlanta area had already climbed to $2.31 a gallon, up from $2.24 a week earlier. By Wednesday morning, that price had risen again, to $2.40.

Check AAA's gas price site for current prices in Georgia

About 37.2 million Americans are expected to travel for Labor Day weekend, the AAA's highest estimate for the holiday since 2008 and up from 35.5 million in 2015, the last time the auto club did a Labor Day travel estimate.

That sounds like a lot. But, perhaps because lots of kids are back in school, Labor Day is actually last among the three major summer holidays in terms of traffic volume. Independence Day inspires the most travelers — 44.2 million this year, according to AAA — and Memorial Day is second, this year putting roughly 39.3 million drivers on the road.

Harvey Continues Wrath While Houston Rescues, Recovers

As such, the AAA doesn't do as detailed an analysis of Labor Day traffic, including state-by-state breakdowns, as it does for the other holidays.

Still, AAA is gearing up to help combat drunk driving on a holiday when folks are known to imbibe. Starting Friday and running through Tuesday (Sept. 1-5), AAA is offering free, confidential towing for anyone who feels they don't need to be behind the wheel. You do not have to be a AAA member to take advantage of the free service.

The auto club's Tow To Go program is operational in Georgia and offers callers a free, confidential ride and tow to their homes or any other safe place within 10 miles of their location.

To get the free tow and ride, call 855-286-9246 (855-2TOW2GO).

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