Storm’s surge felt at pump

The effects of Hurricane Ike caused gasoline prices to rise by more than 10 cents over the weekend. The price here is for the Diamond Shamrock at 501 W. Ninth St.
The force of Hurricane Ike reached all the way to Lawrence over the weekend as gas prices jumped across the city.
Several stations reported increases of at least 10 cents per gallon in the wake of the hurricane, which forced the closure of oil refineries around the Gulf of Mexico and limited the availability of processed fuel.
Regular gasoline cost an average of $3.595 across Kansas on Sunday, according to AAA.
Sam Singhe, clerk at Jayhawk Food Mart, 701 W. Ninth St., said he witnessed a rush to the pumps Saturday as he was changing the store’s sign to raise the price 12 cents.
The upward trend may not be over yet, said Sameer Sangam, owner of Speedway Shell, 1733 Mass. “It might spike even more now,” he said. “Monday we’ll know what is the extent of the damage and how much prices are going to go up.”
Brett Self, of Lawrence, who was buying gas at a convenience store on Ninth Street on Sunday, said he wasn’t worried about the increases, because he buys gas in small quantities. “I only usually buy five or six gallons at a time, so if the price goes up 10 cents, that’s only costing me 60 cents,” he said. “If it goes back up to $4 again, then I’ll be angry.”
Lawrence resident Ben Terwilliger said he filled up his car several days ago in anticipation of a spike. “It’s expected, I suppose,” he said. “It’s frustrating, but what can you do?”
In other parts of the country, Ike left a bizarre pattern of prices at gas pumps, with disparities of more than $1 a gallon in some states, and even on some blocks.
“We’re on the other side of the looking glass,” said Claire Raines, who lives near Knoxville, Tenn. “I just passed three gas stations with prices that ran from about $3.50 to close to $5 within walking distance.”
Average prices exceeded $4 per gallon in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, South Carolina, Hawaii and Alaska.







