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AAA Carolinas: Gasoline Prices Jump 7.6 and 5.1 Cents a Gallon Overnight in South Carolina and North Carolina

Aug. 29, 2012. Average gasoline prices jumped the most overnight in the Carolinas since Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf of Mexico seven years ago, according to AAA Carolinas.

Prices jumped on average 7.6 cents a gallon overnight in South Carolina, from $3.499 yesterday to $3.575 today.

The greatest jump occurring in the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson where the price hike went from $3.468 a gallon yesterday to $3.577 a gallon today – a hike of 10.9 cents a gallon that typically boasts the state’s lowest gasoline prices.

North Carolina saw an average increase overnight of 5.1 cents a gallon from $3.729 a gallon yesterday to $3.78 today, with the greatest hike coming in Asheville, where the average price went from $3.726 yesterday to $3.787 today, a hike of 6.1 cents a gallon.

“The longer Hurricane Isaac lingers in the Gulf, the more prices will increase,” said David E. Parsons, president and CEO of AAA Carolinas. “The spikes will definitely be an inhibiting factor for motorists this Labor Day holiday weekend.”

The greatest one night price increase in the Carolinas occurred from August 31, 2005 to September 1, 2005 during Hurricane Katrina. Prices jumped 15.8 cents in South Carolina to $2.629 and in North Carolina 11.8 cents to $2.68.

“Pump prices will continue upward in the next few days as Hurricane Isaac directly affects prices in both states, due to 90% of our gasoline coming from pipelines getting supplied by Gulf of Mexico on-shore refineries getting crude from the Gulf’s oil rigs,” said Parsons. “Many refineries are shut down and oil rigs have been evacuated.”

Nationally, the average price of a gallon of unleaded self-serve gasoline went from $3.756 to $3.804 – an increase of 4.8 cents. “The longer Hurricane Isaac lingers in the Gulf, the more prices will increase,” said Parsons. “The spikes will definitely be an inhibiting factor for motorists this Labor Day holiday weekend.”

South Carolina now has the third cheapest gas in the nation, behind Colorado at $3.532 cents a gallon and New Mexico at $3.574 a gallon.