The threat of Hurricane Ike heading to Texas has paralyzed eleven gas refineries near the Gulf of Mexico, cutting supply to gas stations in the Carolinas.

At more than 1600 Kangaroo Marts in eleven southeastern states, you'll see the note asking customers to limit their purchase to ten gallons per visit.

As soon as customers read the note, the reaction was of disbelief.

But as gas stations try to conserve the supply of gas, consumers say the bigger worry is drivers flocking to the pumps before a shortage of gas drives prices even higher.

Dawn Inscoe filled up her car Thursday night at $3.55 a gallon. She came back this morning to fill up at $3.69 a gallon. She believes it'll go up again.

"My husband talked to someone in South Carolina and they were already over $4 a gallon down there," Inscoe said.

Another customer, Victoria Galloway, said the trouble with gas prices is always on her mind.

"That's the first thing when you get up to get in your car and you need to get somewhere and you don't have no gas, you think, ‘Oh my God where am I going to get gas money from? How am I going to get here and how am I going to get there,'" Galloway said.

And as gas stations in the Carolinas are raising their pump prices, people can only look forward to the days Hurricane Ike is gone.

"I'm hoping the hurricane won't be so significant that they'll push the prices back down," Inscoe said. "But I want to go ahead and fill up so I can ride it out until they get back down," she said.

After Hurricane Katrina, gas prices spiked to $3 dollars a gallon, then a high price. Some stations ran out of gas.

As gas stations limited the amount of gas consumers could purchase, many also raised their prices. The consumer protection division of the Attorney General's office had received at least 425 complaints as of 3 p.m. Friday. In the mountains, gas prices as high as $5.99 a gallon were reported. In Raleigh, prices soared as high as $4.89.

Gov. Mike Easley declared a state of "abnormal market disruption" under North Carolina law, which charges the Attorney General with enforcing the price gouging statute.

"As a result of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, oil refineries in Texas and Louisiana have temporarily interrupted some gasoline supplies to the pipelines that serve North Carolina," he said. "Therefore, there may be temporary limitations on our gas supply. However, wholesale gas prices are up less than 20 cents a gallon over the last few days. Therefore, consumers should not see prices rise substantially more than this rise in the wholesale price. We know that there will be some supply disruption, but we do not yet know the extent. Past events of this kind have lasted only a short time. I urge motorists to reasonably conserve gasoline until the situation is clearer. "

According to Attorney General Roy Cooper, his office is ready to investigate and will take legal action if merchants they violate North Carolina's price gouging law.

"People are incredibly frustrated when already high gas prices spike even more," Cooper said. "One of the beauties of the price gouging law is that is can work as a deterrent. I urge gas stations not to institute panic price increases, and I urge motorists not to get panic fill-ups."

Cooper urged people to be patients because the office's voicemail is not working. Consumers can go online to www.ncdoj.gov and fill out a complaint form if you think you see an instance of price gouging. He said the complaint form requires the name and address of the business as well as a pre and post disaster price. Cooper said there will be people in his office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. this Saturday fielding calls.

Since the price gouging law is relatively new in North Carolina, the courts have not yet defined price gouging, but Cooper said "you know it when you see it."

Meanwhile, Durham City officials said they are preparing for possible fuel shortages.

According to City Manager Thomas Bonfield, the administration is preparing for the worst to keep City operations functioning until Hurricane Ike and his effects are over and the fuel supply systems are back to normal.

"We are currently examining all of our vehicles and equipment and grouping them into three categories - mission critical, mission essential, and mission non-essential," Bonfield said. "All vehicles and equipment deemed mission non-essential will be parked immediately until the event is over. We believe this is critical to protect our current fuel inventory until we clearly see the effects of Ike and what additional steps we need to take, if any, after the damages to the refineries and pipelines are assessed."

According to Bonfield, if the City's fuel vendors have trouble delivering more fuel, mission essential vehicles and equipment will then be parked, with only vehicles deemed as mission critical - such as police cars, fire trucks and garbage trucks - allowed fuel. All non-essential travel by City employees could also be eliminated if needed.

"Our Fleet Management Department is closely monitoring fuel delivery issues and remaining in close contact with Durham's emergency management director," Bonfield said. "Our understanding is that this disruption in the fuel pipeline system will be brief, and fortunately, no additional storms are looming behind Hurricane Ike. Our policy is that it's best to be prepared so we can ensure that our core services are maintained to our residents until this event is over."

As the City undertakes fuel conservation measures, Bonfield is encouraging residents to do the same. These measures include carpooling, ride sharing, taking public transportation such as Durham Area Transit Authority (DATA), and limiting non-essential vehicle travel.