Gas station shortages, backups - WOWK 13 Charleston, Huntington WV News, Weather, Sports

Several area gas stations have completely run out of gasoline, and many stations that have gas are unable to pump it because they have no electricity.

Every pump in Dunbar was dry at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, and in Kanawha City cars lined the streets making a chaotic scene as drivers braved long lines to fill their tanks.

"It's a mess," said Jean Young. "Nothing's open, everything's closed; we got trees to cut up, so we need to get gas."

Many people brought out canisters to fill to try to prep for the long haul.

And many others in lines had their own theories for the shortages.

"Well most of the cars around here I've seen are SUVs and trucks and they don't get good gas, so they're probably just trying to get ready in case they don't have any for a while," said Matthew Smoot.

On the west side of Charleston, one station pulled the plug on its pumps. The Exxon station at the corner of Tennessee Avenue and Washington Street lost power and ran out of fuel early Saturday morning.

Jan Vineyard, president of the West Virginia Oil Marketers and Grocers' Association, who said Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin had deployed trucks to deliver more gas to various stations.