Ike Blamed For Gas Shortage In Southeast HOUSTON, TX (APR - Alabama Public Radio ) - Some gasoline stations in parts of the Southeast are out of fuel and shortages could persist for days.

That's as refiners continue to recover from the one-two punch of hurricanes Ike and Gustav.

Industry officials also say a crush of people topping off tanks, and even panic buying in some cases, can worsen the problem. Jeff Lenard of the National Association of Convenience Stores says ``the system is not equipped for that. The system is equipped for people to buy gas once or twice a week.''

Meantime, it's likely that gasoline will get more expensive after the biggest one-day spike ever in the price of oil yesterday.

Oil prices briefly climbed by more than $25 a barrel in a surge triggered by investor anxiety that the government's 700 billion-dollar bailout of financial institutions will boost inflation.

Meanwhile, power's been restored to a dozen Louisiana refineries put out of commission by Hurricane Gustav. But Hurricane Ike's approach closed or disrupted operations at another dozen-plus refineries along the upper Texas Gulf Coast. That area accounts for about 20 percent of the nation's gas and diesel production.

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