Gas Prices/Katrina/Caving

[L Roebuck]

Since Katrina has cause a rise in gas prices will that put a crimp your caving activities?

[Scott McCrea]

Oh yeah, you betcha. I'm headed to OTR this weekend. I found 3 people to ride with me/pay for gas. I definitely won't be going anywhere by myself. I filled up on Monday, paid $2.55, them parked my truck and haven't driven since. But, I guess that's the way I should be living anyway...

[Azurerana]

We're trying to find a cheaper way to get my husband the 200 miles he drives every weekend to come home/return to his job. The train is a possibility, but since they run on diesel, chances are their fares are going up, too.

I started combining trips to the city some time ago, and passed on a 200+ mile cave trip last weekend because of gas prices. And we've got small cars with good mileage. I suspect people with SUVs may start jumping out their windows soon. I know my bro-in-law parked his Suburban, and noticed a whole lot more cars vs SUVs on the ring interstate last Sunday--before Nawlins went swimming.

[L Roebuck]

No doubt this will crimp our caving style too. Not complaining but for awhile I think we will be caving in our own county (highland grim) more. Gas prices here (TN) jumped from $2.59/gal to $2.99/gal in just two days. What is the pricing like in your areas?

Has any one heard from any of the Mississippi cavers? I wondered if JUST Cavers grotto members made it through Katrina ok?

[L Roebuck]

I phone T. John Schliesser this morning to check on (MS) JUST Cavers grotto members to make sure they made it through Katrina. T. John said yes he had heard from most of the grotto members. In Jackson MS they do have power, gas in the area is in short supply but food supplies in the grocery stores may be getting low.

I feel if the need arises and our fellow Mississippi cavers need food and/or other supplies the organized caving community should prepare to lend a hand.

[Squirrelgirl]

How about New Orleans cavers? I met a guy from N.O. during convention. He lives smack in the middle of town. No word from him. He doesn't answer my email. I'm worried. There's no doubt he's lost all his personal belongings. Hopefully he and his family are healthy and safe.

Anyway, there are gas shortages here and there. I am planning on going to OTR, but they say stations in parts of WV are out of gas. Anybody know anything about this? I may have to fill up just as I leave Virginia, and every time I see a gas station and my tank is < 2/3 or so.

[L Roebuck]

I hope cavers can help any of our fellow cavers who may need help in these areas. I checked the members manual, Crescent City Cavers Grotto meets in Metairie LA. I will try to phone and make contact, if possible. Squirrelgirl what is the New Orleans caver's name? I hope he evacuated before Katrina and is safe somewhere.

CNN has a Safe list for people who are okay and have been able to post.
www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2005/hurricanes/list/

Hurricane Katrina Survivors
www.hurricanekatrinasurvivors.com/main/

[Sharon Faulkner]

Yes, high gas prices are going to have some effect on my caving, or as Lynn stated earlier, I too, will probably cave closer to home for the most part.

Premium (93 grade) gasoline topped out here (North Alabama) at $3.40 a gallon about an hour ago. In addition, some stations have stopped sales on the lower grades (87 etc.) until they sell all of the premium grade they currently have in their holding tanks.

[Squirrelgirl]

pretzlgirl said:

I hope cavers can help any of our fellow cavers who may need help in these areas. I checked the members manual, Crescent City Cavers Grotto meets in Metairie LA. I will try to phone and make contact, if possible. Squirrelgirl what is the New Orleans caver's name? I hope he evacuated before Katrina and is safe somewhere.

The reason I worry about him, Mark Rabin, is that he's a web developer. If he had evacuated, I would have thought he's be anxiously killing time with nothing to do with no home to go to, so he'd spend time on the web. Therefore I'm worried that he's stuck stranded at the convention center with no food and no water.

CNN has a Safe list for people who are okay and have been able to post.
www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2005/hurricanes/list/

Hurricane Katrina Survivors
www.hurricanekatrinasurvivors.com/main/

Yeah, I'd been checking on the CNN site today and he's not listed. I'd looked around a little on the other sites, too. I checked again, now that you've posted the links. Still, nothing. Thanks.

SG

[Jennifer]

You can try the New Orleans Times-Picayune web page also... not sure how they're posting stories, but here's their web page. They have a page to look for missing people:

www.nola.com/

A friend of mine is from Laurel, MS about 90 miles north of the coast. They couldn't get through to anyone over phone or email. Her sister had to drive down there to make sure their family was ok. About 75% of the electric/phone infrastructure has been completely wiped out even 100 miles away from the coast. Hopefully your friend just doesn't have access to a computer and is ok. Complete disaster down there. I am getting really depressed watching CNN... Let's try to find out about all the cavers in that area! I'm sure they're going to need lots of help.

Here in Huntsville gas is hovering around $3.00. They're only selling premium here too... It cost me $30 to fill up my tiny little car (thank god I get excellent gas mileage!). I'm going to really limit my driving in the next few weeks!! Luckily I can drive about 15 minutes to some great caves!

[Azurerana]

Folks--
As an old grayhair who went through the 1970s gas crunch, the first thing you need to do is DON'T PANIC!
Prices going skyward, and stations 'out of gas' are symptoms of panic in response to the markets. It has very little to do with reality. Reality doesn't set in for a couple of weeks.
A lot of what is going on for the next week or two will be panic buying and panic pricing. Until the oil companies get a handle on what refineries are still functional, everything is speculation on medium term gasoline availability. Everyone running out IMMEDIATELY to buy gasoline in fear drives demand higher, lessens supply and does nothing but enrich the oil companies short term.
As in the 1970s, there is still plenty of oil out there. The loss of the refineries is the big thing, and it is still uncertain which are in need of reconstruction, and which are just really really wet, and need drying out. The extent of the problem will become known over the next two weeks. Yes, losing the drilling rigs is a problem, since they cannot be replaced overnight. But the refineries are the big and the short term issue.
As weird as this sounds, the federal government does have a handle on gas panics--many people still living and working helped manage the last one. No, it isn't fun. But you will survive and get by.
The best thing you can do is carry on just as you have been in terms of gas purchases, regardless of price, and don't let the high prices spook you into changing your gas buying behavior.
Conservation is good. But panic buy and hoard, and you get shortages, the oil companies get rich, and no one wins.

Jo Schaper

[Squirrelgirl]

Yea! Mark updated his website and says his family is safe. Woo Hoo! I don't know any details, but that they're not stuck at the convention center is a very good thing.

Jo, while you give some good advice (I think), the current shortages have been reported on the news as due to shut down pipelines in the Gulf area. That sounds like it could be fixed in a few weeks. And it doesn't mean the gas won't make it eventually.

[Azurerana]

squirrelgirl said:

Jo, while you give some good advice (I think), the current shortages have been reported on the news as due to shut down pipelines in the Gulf area. That sounds like it could be fixed in a few weeks. And it doesn't mean the gas won't make it eventually.

Hi Barbara!
I got my info from a fellow from the American Petroleum Institute on the News Hour, some folks I know in the petroleum industry, plus my own experiences. As you obviously know, the pipeline problem is connected (literally) to the refinery problem. Yes, the pipeline companies (some of them) are independent of the refineries, and yes, it take electric to run the pipelines, and gas from the refineries to run through them. It's the delivery system which is broken, not lack of resource.

But the devil is in the details. The local evening newspeople aren't going into this sort of detail--they are just going to the local gas pump, screaming about the prices and shut off pumps, and saying there is no gas. People without our geo background are taking them literally and panicking.

I hate disasters. Not just because of the loss of life and cleanup cost, as the fact that it brings out every bottom feeding sensationalist journalist who clog the paper, airwaves and TV stations screaming "The sky is falling!" instead of being intelligent and informative.

Darn Chicken Little.

[Wendy]

If there is anyway we can help out grotto members in the affected states I would be willing to help out. maybe we can send e-mails or call their listed contacts and see what assistance they need or thier members. I can bring it up at my grotto members once we know what is needed.

[Jennifer]

SG, that's great you heard from your friend!!! And it sure is great he's not in the convention center!!!

People here aren't panicking. Some gas stations are running out of fuel, but I believe that is from the pipeline disruptions, not panic buying (there are no lines at gas stations). I had to fill up yesterday because I was running on empty... I think the best thing people can do is to conserve on driving and not buy more than you need... and drive more fuel-efficient vehicles! :-) I had to laugh last night while watching the local news... a woman was griping about how much she was paying for gas while filling up a Hummer (13 mpg?). I have absolutely no sympathy!

[L Roebuck]

Great to hear Mark and his family are safe!
It sure is a rough time on the Gulf Coast.

A twist to the sensationalist journalism is the blog of a real guy who is in a New Orlean's office building. www.mgno.com