The heavy rains that fell on South Florida last week, particularly in the Ft. Lauderdale area, north of Miami, have caused a lack of all types of fuel. This Wednesday the crisis is already going for five days.
The authorities maintain that the problem has two basic reasons, clearly visible by the huge queues in the two cities, as verified OnCuba during a tour of the affected areas on Monday and Tuesday: first, the fact that many drivers are buying more gasoline than they need. And, second, the little transfer of tanker trucks between the port of Ft. Lauderdale and Miami.
The port is the distribution center for South Florida, the place where tankers dock to offload fuel. According to local authorities, of the twelve unloading points, only nine are working, many at half speed because there are still flooded areas.
This has led the municipal authorities to appeal to the population to moderate their purchases. “Gasoline exists, it has not reached many gas stations, but it will come. I call on the public to moderate, people must think of others, who also have their needs. We must share as equitably as possible and reach everyone,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said.
In a statement, the Ft. Lauderdale port authorities said there is “no shortage of gasoline, diesel, jet fuel or other petroleum products. (But) delivery delays are expected to continue to decrease.” However, they did not indicate a date for normalization, although the ships continue to arrive.
“I have been here at the gas station for three days waiting. They don’t tell me anything and I have no choice because the little gasoline I have in the tank I can’t spend looking for gas stations, ”she said on Monday to OnCuba Jorge Parellada, who explained that he has been sleeping in his car at a gas station in the Kendall neighborhood, in the SW of the county. According to him, several drivers take care of each other’s cars when people are picked up by their relatives so they can go home to wash up and eat. “There is a solidarity. But we also have another problem: we are missing work.”
The authorities have not reported how much the fuel deficit in South Florida amounts to. But America Radio revealed Wednesday afternoon that, according to industry sources, at least 550,000 gallons must be delivered by Friday or the two cities are not paralyzed.
State means of transport and medical aid are supplied from county reserves, these do not appear to be affected.
“It is supposed to have to guarantee what is necessary for ambulances and fire trucks. But I can’t even do that, ”he confessed to OnCuba the manager of a gas station in the city of Doral, one of the municipalities of Miami-Dade County.
