Everyone in town was talking about the long lines of vehicles trying to gas up in Coushatta on Friday.  People came from everywhere it seemed.

The situation was Coushatta gas pumps had both gas and the electricity to power the pumps.  Nearby towns including most of Natchitoches parish did not have power.  So, they came to Coushatta.

Lott Oil local manager Kerlinda Ramirez said she did not know how many gallons of fuel the station pumped.  She said people bought all they could get.  And the fuel trucks kept coming.  On Tuesday afternoon Ramirez said, “We sold four tanker trucks loaded with fuel.  On a normal day we sell about one tanker load.”

The same was true at the Gold Mine Casino, the Conoco station at the south Y, and at the Country Market Phillips 66.  There were long lines all day of folks trying to get in, fuel up, and get out.

Many brought multiple gas cans.  Fuel was needed to  power generators so people could power their homes, refrigerators and freezers.

Coushatta police officers came to direct traffic.  The largest congestion appeared to be at Lott Oil’s Chevron station.

At one point Friday morning, traffic was backed up on Cutoff Road for several blocks north of the Chevron and running south past the entrance to Nichols.  On the other side of the cutoff vehicles were lined up from Nichols to the Subway.  And south the line stretched almost as far.  And there were long lines on either side of the Conoco, also more people trying to get fuel at the Country Market.

The weather was hot, but for the most part tempers remained cool.  It was a long wait for many to get the fuel they needed.