Why did gas pumps run dry in Palm Beach County after flooding in Broward County?

Gas availability improved Monday though fallout from last week's monsoons continued to create sporadic fuel shortages, and some long lines, at South Florida filling stations.

Stations in Palm Beach County as well as in Miami-Dade and Broward wrapped gas pump handles in red and yellow plastic coverings as their tanks emptied out. Motorists lined up, sometimes by the dozens, at those stations that still had fuel to sell.

The trouble stemmed from last week's heavy rains in eastern Broward County, which flooded Port Everglades roads and disrupted fuel companies that move gasoline and diesel from the port to local stations.

On Monday, a Port Everglades official noted the facility is a seaport and it's the private petroleum companies working at the port who "are responsible for storing and distributing gasoline and other petroleum products." The port stated that about half of the companies that distribute petroleum products are delivering to retailers and other consumers.

Port Everglades Communications Coordinator Helen Boyer added that those fuel companies "are continuing to load trucks with fuel to deliver to gas stations 24/7" but that some of them had suffered "damage from flooding like so many homes and other businesses in the area" and were working to restore service.

More: Record rainfall in West Palm Beach reported with almost 5 inches and more on the way

"We don’t have a timeline when your gas station will have gas and when all the companies will be fully operational," Boyer wrote in an email. "But, please know that there is adequate supply of gas at the port."

On Sunday afternoon, port officials had issued a statement asking the public to "remain patient" and insisting that relief is on the way.

"Petroleum trucks continue to load fuel at Port Everglades for delivery to gas stations throughout Florida," the statement read. "The public is encouraged to remain patient and not rush to the pumps since the port has ample fuel supply."

More fuel is arriving, officials said, and on Monday there were three tankers in port and five offshore with gas, diesel and jet fuel for customers.

According to the port's website, some 12.5 million gallons of energy products, such as jet fuel, gasoline and propane, are delivered on tank ships and barges on an average day. Those various energy products fuel 12 counties in Florida and five international airports.

Also on Monday, Broward County Mayor Lamar P. Fisher said the port was helping the fuel companies with logistics "to efficiently get their fuel trucks in and out" and make up for lost time due to the rains and flooding.

"One hurdle for the companies is getting the fuel out regionally to make up for the time lost during this unprecedented flooding event,” Fisher said.

That "unprecedented flooding" last week is what some weather experts called a freak storm event, but one that created havoc across South Florida, including the critical fuel depot at the seaport.

"The gasoline outages in the region are primarily due to the flooding of Port Everglades, which knocked out operations to the gasoline terminals located there," said Mark Jenkins, spokesman for AAA.

To offset the shortage, gasoline was being brought in from Port Canaveral, Tampa and Orlando, Jenkins said.

"The good news is that most gasoline terminals at Port Everglades are already back in service," Jenkins said Sunday. "It’s expected to be at full capacity by the end of the day, so fuel supplies in the area should get back to normal in the coming days."

The shortages come at an inopportune time as gasoline prices across the state have again been spiraling upwards.

Florida gas prices rose 12 cents per gallon to start the month. On April 8, for example, AAA noted the state average was $3.58 per gallon, which tied the highest price for 2023, set at the start of the year in January.

"Last week’s jump at the pump was expected, after OPEC announced oil production cuts that immediately caused oil prices to surge," Jenkins said. "Fortunately, after the initial gains on Monday, the oil market plateaued through the rest of the week. It’s possible that retail gas prices could inch up a little more this week before fully adjusting to the moves in the futures market."

Antonio Fins is a politics and business editor at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at afins@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: South Florida gas shortages continue due to Fort Lauderdale flooding