Albany Feeling The Effects of Hurricane Harvey At the Pump

As we head into Labor Day Weekend road trips, you'll need to budget a little more for gas.

Even though Houston is a long way from the Capital Region, Hurricane Harvey has already had an affect on your emotions as you have felt for everyone going through a tough time in Texas right now. Now Harvey is affecting us in another way: rising gas prices.

The Times Union is reporting today gas prices in the Capital Region jumped up 5 cents overnight Wednesday to Thursday, and the AAA average per gallon has gone up 11 cents in the last week. The article says Harvey has seriously affected the ability of refineries in Texas and Louisiana to produce gasoline, which has driven prices up and we should see prices go back down after Labor Day once demand for gas goes down a little.

This is one of those things where a little perspective makes the higher prices not a big deal at all. Folks in Texas would much rather be paying a little more for a weekend road trip than dealing with the challenges they are facing after Hurricane Harvey.