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Drivers Finally Seeing Relief At The Pump After Hectic Hurricane Season

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- It's been a rough few weeks for drivers who have been feeling the pain at the pump in the wake of several natural disasters, but things are starting to change.

It's very common for gas prices to go up following a major natural disaster. This year, the United States has had several of them. Experts say their impact is starting to wear off.

It started with Hurricane Harvey's assault on southeast Texas back in August.

The intense flooding crippled the region's oil refineries, forcing 13 of them to shut down.

"I've been trying to hold off as long as possible just to see if it would drop anymore," said driver Emily Johnson.

Drivers are now seeing a change, as prices are no longer sky high. In Baltimore, they're taking a nosedive.

According to the gasbuddy.com tracker, the average price per gallon of gasoline in Baltimore is $2.37. That's down seven cents in the past week.

That's even lower than the national average of $2.47 a gallon, which is a decrease of six cents.

"Barring any significant hurricanes or impacts to refineries, motorists should continue to see gas prices trend lower," said Ragina Cooper-Avarella, with AAA Mid-Atlantic.

Some drivers WJZ's Amy Yensi spoke to say the best way to get a good deal on gas is to simply shop around.

[Reporter: "Are you pleasantly surprised with prices you saw here?] "Yeah. They're actually a little bit lower than I expected," said driver John Walter.

It's a welcome surprise during a hurricane season that's been anything but predictable.

Experts say that during a natural disaster, rushing to the pump makes things worse because that's what makes prices go up.

Click here for a link to track gas prices in your area.

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