HAZARD — People getting off from work Tuesday afternoon may have been in for a surprise if they needed to fill up on the way home, as at some gas stations the price of fuel jumped more than 20 cents per gallon.
National media outlets reported on Tuesday that gas prices were expected to surge as Hurricane Isaac bears down on the Gulf coast, where several oil drilling rigs and refineries are located. About half of the refineries shut down as Isaac approached, according to The Christian Science Monitor.
These increases in gas prices are coming at an inopportune time for drivers as the Labor Day weekend, one of the busiest periods for America’s highways, is this coming weekend.
Here in Hazard, the Shell marts on East Main Street and on Highway 15 displayed regular gasoline for $3.92 per gallon, as did the Exxon station in Highway 15.
The national average for a gallon of gasoline on Tuesday stood at $3.76, according to AAA.











