Gas shortage pains subside, but it’s still good to keep Gas Buddy handy

As many Austinites are well aware, the panic over gasoline started before the rains from tropical story Harvey had even begun to move out of the East Texas/Western Louisiana.

As refineries in the area were shut down, emergency relief travel began in earnest, and people began to evacuate by cars, trucks, and gas-powered boats, gasoline supplies became more difficult to find.

Add to that some panic and hoarding, and it made for long lines at stations, some of which were drained completely.

As of Sunday evening, local availability had improved quite a bit, according to the Austin-American Statesman, but there were still several stations without fuel.

Regardless of when and how quickly local stations are back to normal, the shortage brought to light the existence of Gas Buddy, an app that allows you to find out which stations have gas by entering a ZIP code.

• PAIN AT THE PUMP: Austin gas stations still report lines, low supply [AAS]