Finally, as we approached 1/2 tank, we were at the point of having to turn back. As a last ditch effort I installed the "Gas Buddy" app and we were filling up within 15 minutes.
During the second half our our outward journey I saw many instances of cars lined up at empty gas pumps, ready to wait as long as required for fuel to arrive. In one case they were lined up at an obviously-defunct gas station simply because they no longer had any other options.
We ended up in a hotel room in Valdosta, Georgia (we were quite fortunate, as available hotel rooms were virtually impossible to find). Having become familiar with the city, which I had formerly thought of as a rural backwater, I have found Valdosta to be one of the nicest cities I've had the pleasure of visiting, and apparently the last bastion of true Southern hospitality.
As I write this Irma is pounding my neighborhood with the eye only a few miles away. We’ve been taking 60mph winds most of the day. Down to Cat 2 helps. I’ve got some nice furniture I hope I don’t lose to storm surge. I’m not there, I’m in KY but friend is close to the house keeping me informed on status. Not a good day, but I’m still alive. I just hope the house doesn’t blow away. It is much quicker to fix than rebuild.