Gas prices on the U.S. East Coast are expected to surge this week ahead of and during Hurricane Florence’s landfall, as residents have started to evacuate from the Carolinas and Virginia, for which U.S. President Donald Trump has declared that a state of emergency exists. “A storm like this typically causes an increase in fuel purchases in the market and a slowdown in retail demand. Motorists can expect spikes in pump prices to be brief, but possibly dramatic,” Jeanette Casselano, AAA spokesperson, said in a statement on Wednesday. The governors of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia ordered mandatory evacuation in areas of their states earlier this week. “We face three critical threats from Florence: ocean surge along our coast, strong winds, and inland flooding from heavy rain,” North Carolina Governor Cooper said on Monday. “Wherever you live in North Carolina, you need to get ready for this storm […]