3 Florida Sites Offer Free Fuel Amid Hurricane Shortages, More to Open

A man cleans debris inside a gas station store after a tornado hit the area and caused severe damage as Hurricane Milton swept through, in Lakewood Park, Fla., on Oct. 10, 2024. Giorgio Viera/AFP via Getty Images

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said on Oct. 12 that the state has opened three sites where residents can get free gasoline, with the move meant to ease fuel shortages caused by Hurricane Milton.

DeSantis said at a press conference in Plant City, Florida that Floridians can receive up to 10 gallons of free gas per vehicle, with the three distribution sites located in Plant City and the Florida towns of Bradenton and St. Petersburg.

“The fuel is an issue. When you have power out at gas stations, you can’t pump fuel,” the governor said, noting that hurricane-related disruptions at ports also contributed to the shortages. “So we have a lot of fuel that we brought into Florida to be able to help get people through the patch as we get back and ... the private sector resolves the issue.”

The three stations are operating from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and DeSantis noted that there are plans to open additional sites offering free fuel in Tampa, Pinellas County, and possibly Sarasota, Florida, depending on demand.

“We just want people to be able to get what they need,” DeSantis said.

Kevin Guthrie, Florida’s emergency management director, said at the press conference that free fueling locations are being set up based on demand, with 200,000 gallons of fuel already delivered—and more on the way—at the Plant City location, which is in Hillsborough County, east of Tampa.

Guthrie said the temporary free fueling stations are being set up concurrently with efforts to bring power back to commercial gas stations that have been affected by outages. He encouraged people to get gas at operational commercial stations because they have more pumps and can distribute fuel more efficiently.

“If you’ve got the financial means and you’ve got a gas station that’s open next to you, that’s always going to be your best option,” Guthrie said. “But if ... you’re financially struggling and you need help now—I see a car that’s being pushed up off to our left here—and you’re in that type of situation, this is the place you need to be.”

DeSantis said the Florida Division of Emergency Management is ready to deliver generators to stations that lack power if it appears that the outages affecting them will last 48 hours or more.

“But we are also optimistic that you’re going to see a lot of these stations end up getting power in relatively short order in the coming days,” he said.

Hurricane Milton, which struck Florida’s Gulf Coast earlier this week, caused significant damage as it made landfall. The storm triggered deadly tornadoes, widespread flooding, and power outages, leaving more than 1.4 million residents still without electricity as of the afternoon of Oct. 12, according to the latest state emergency management report.

Milton marked the second major storm to hit Florida in two weeks, complicating recovery efforts. Search and rescue teams continue to operate in most affected areas, with power restoration efforts remaining a key priority.

The three stations where Florida residents can get up to 10 gallons of free gas are at these locations:

• Tom Bennett Park, 280 Kay Road., Bradenton
• Plant City Stadium, 1810 South Park Road., Plant City
• Central Lot—Parking Lot, 800 1st Avenue South, St. Petersburg

Florida has more than 1 million gallons of emergency gasoline and 1.8 million gallons of diesel on hand, with 418,000 gallons of diesel and 511,000 gallons of gas already deployed in the field.