From the Charlotte Observer:Much-needed fuel appears to be on the way to the western Carolinas, including Charlotte, even as honking rush-hour commuters idled in lines and occasionally fought at stations that weren't out of gas.
At least one man was charged with pulling a gun during a dispute at a gas pump, police say.
Witnesses told Taylorsville police that Todd Lackey pointed a .45-caliber handgun at another driver after they pulled up to a pump at the same time and started arguing. Lackey fled, but witnesses got his license plate number and police later charged him with assault by pointing a gun.
Earlier Thursday, a deputy director for the U.S. Department of Energy told local officials that a large shipment of gasoline should arrive in Asheville and Spartanburg, S.C., today and "an extremely large shipment" in Charlotte tomorrow, Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory said.
During a news conference at the Government Center uptown, McCrory said he had spoken to Energy Department Acting Deputy Secretary of Energy Jeffrey Kupfer, who told him about the shipments.
Motorists in Charlotte have waited in line for hours over the last two days as fuel shipments dried up because Gulf hurricanes temporarily disrupted refinery production. Rush hour commuters in Thursday afternoon traffic slowed down as they passed gas stations, looking for tell-tale bags on the pumps.
Many of the stations ringing Charlotte's uptown were out of gas. On South Boulevard at Ideal Way a small Shell station was crammed with cars that were lined up for blocks waiting, clogging traffic, honking and slowing the afternoon rush.
Update:
Here's a US gasoline supply graph from The Oil Drum:
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