COLUMBIA - Tropical storm Gustav is more than a thousand miles away, but people here in mid-Missouri could still feel the financial force of the storm.
Oil companies are evacuating Gulf Coast refineries ahead of the storm.
And that could mean higher gas prices in Missouri and the rest of the nation.
"It just seems that every time there's threat of a tropical storm or hurricane, with outlying liability, we have all the oil wells down in the gulf, they seem to bump the price up just out of shear speculation," said Columbia Resident Tony Sumpter.
Oil companies made repairs and upgrades to many refineries following hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Experts said Gustav should reach hurricane strength in the next few days.
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