CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) -- Isaac may not be dumping any rain in the area but he is still hitting us where it hurts: our wallets.
According to AAA, gas prices rose about five cents over night in the Charlotte area.
Experts say prices will continue to rise with all of the oil refineries shut down in the Gulf of Mexico.
Kevin McDuffie, of Charlotte, is still trying to wrap his head around the spike in gas prices -- five cents just overnight.
Oh man, it's kinda rough man," he said. "It's hard enough at $3.85 a gallon."
He said he heard a rumor prices could go much higher.
"Five dollars a gallon for regular, that's tough man," said McDuffie.
And it may not get that high -- but experts say right now, they just don't know.
The national average for a gallon of regular sits at $3.80 today but yesterday, it was $3.75, according to AAA.
A week ago, it was $3.71 for a gallon of regular.
Javier Perez, another driver, hopes the spike really is just because of Isaac.
"I hope it goes down, I really do," he said. "Maybe after the hurricane is over with, things will get better. I only get like 12 miles to the gallon."
In the meantime, McDuffie is thankful for at least this silver lining.
"Luckily, my job is only five minutes from my house," he pointed out. "I feel for people that drive 30 miles, 40 miles."
The cautionary shutdown of refineries in preparation for Isaac has meant a loss of two to three million barrels of oil a day. Until those refineries re-open, experts say the price at the pump will continue to rise.
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