Some gas stations will let motorists pump for free if their fuel tanks run low during a hurricane evacuation, state officials said Tuesday.
The free fueling plan comes after thousands of cars were left abandoned on the side of highways during Hurricane Rita last year, when more than 3 million people evacuated the Houston area and jammed roads for hours.
Most stations along evacuation routes ran out of gas, making fuel availability a priority in the state's revamped evacuation plan.
Motorists won't be allowed to fill their tanks completely and only vehicles with little fuel remaining will be given access to the free pumps, said Jenniffier Hawes, a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Public Safety.
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Drivers looking to top off will be sent to pay at other stations, she said.
"It's going to be expeditious," Hawes said. "We don't want a lack of financial resources to leave someone stranded."
The free gas will be available at stations located at 50-mile intervals on evacuation routes, she said. Valero, Shell, Exxon Mobil and Marathon are the stations providing the free fuel.
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