Gas prices not expected to be affected by Hurricane Ian according to experts

Though Tropical Storm Ian is causing a lot of problems for the Southeast, motor experts say higher gas prices shouldn't be among them.

GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan said that, unlike in past hurricanes, gasoline supply from refineries is likely to be very minimally disrupted if at all.

De Hann said that the biggest difference between this storm and others is the trajectory. Hurricane Harvey drove up prices in 2017 because it temporarily shut down more than 10% of the nation's refining capacity, and Hurricane Ida caused similar concerns last year when it shut down the Colonial Pipeline.

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"Ian did not take a pass that caused any shutdowns to this point, so gasoline has continued to be produced during the storm," he said.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, there are no oil or petroleum refineries in Florida, Georgia or either of the Carolinas.

AAA spokesperson Montrae Waiters echoed De Hann's statements. Waiters said that Georgia has "plenty of gas supply" and there is "no need" for residents to "panic buy" gasoline, which could lead to an increase in prices. Waiters further reassured the public, though, that any change in gas prices is likely to be temporary.

Rather than a spike at the pumps, consumers might see fuel prices falling.

Because the destruction of Hurricane Ian is likely to cause a pause in people traveling, De Haan said demand for gas will diminish, meaning a potential drop in prices rather than an increase.

On Tuesday, GasBuddy activated its Emergency Fuel Availability Tracker in Florida, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina in order to inform drivers of which gas stations are out of fuel or power.