Throughout parts of our state, weekend plans will likely be altered or diverted altogether as gas tanks and patience runs low. Portions of Georgia, particularly in the Atlanta metro area, have been met with gas shortages due to low supplies on the heels of Hurricane Ike a few weeks ago.

Gasoline from regional suppliers has only been trickling in, and deliveries to gas stations have been slow or absent due to several contributing factors state officials have noted. Several refineries on the Gulf Coast remain out of operation for the time being, meaning the gas crunch in many areas of the state will likely continue for at least another week.

Fortunately for us, our area has not been hit with hectic circumstances as some areas, such as Athens, Atlanta and even Augusta, have, though there were stations Friday afternoon that were low or out of gas. Even so, it wouldn’t hurt if we all took note of the situation over the next few days by being more mindful of our travel plans.

Of course, we all know that many in our area will still be heading out this weekend, and rightfully so — a number of us will be gassing up to head to Athens to cheer on the Bulldogs — but Athens and University of Georgia officials have stressed the importance of filling up before heading into town for the game, and they’ve even cautioned those who can’t make it up to the game and back on one tank of gas to stay at home.

Though we know that’s not likely, what is more likely to happen is our area will see a lot of traffic and our gas stations will be busy as Bulldog fans make a pit stop here on their way up Highway 441. This may put a bit of strain on the pumps here, so local drivers should be advised.

This shouldn’t, however, result in panic at the pumps — which many state leaders, including Ga. Gov. Sonny Perdue have noted may have already impacted the shortages being felt in other parts of the state.

It certainly wouldn’t hurt if we were all more mindful of travel this weekend, as many out-of-towners will likely fill up in Milledgeville.

We can all help out by taking fewer trips for errands by making a more concerted effort to get the to-do lists done in one outing. Make less frequent stops, obey the speed limit to conserve fuel, and if possible, prioritize and put off less important errands for another day. Those of us who aren’t heading to the game may want to take a “staycation” and enjoy local offerings this weekend.

Across parts of metro areas, drivers have lined roadways for hours this week in hopes of finding a station to fill their tanks. Many have waited in long lines only discover empty pumps when they got there.

The situation has only been compounded, however, by those who have reacted out of panic, which only adds to driver frustration and the long lines and delays. We’ve been fortunate in this gas crunch to not reach the point of our state’s metro areas, and we certainly don’t want to.

If we all make a few adjustments we can avoid the gas shortage fray.