Brazos County officials urged residents Monday to gas up their vehicles ahead of Hurricane Ike's landfall. That's because as Ike draws near, the deadly storm could tighten fuel supplies nationwide.

A major storm could cause severe damage to offshore drilling facilities. It could also force oil refineries to shut down. In turn, there could be less fuel at the gas station, and you'll probably be dishing out more for what you get.

For me, this brings back memories of Hurricane Rita. I was sent to Beaumont to cover the storm.

We knew that fuel would be in short supply, so we brought two full gas cans with us, just in case. It was not the safest thing, I know, but it was a necessity.

You know when you are hungry and you can't help looking at another person's meal? That's how it was with our gas cans-everybody wanted them. Fuel was needed, but there was little to be had.

When we arrived in Beaumont, we stayed with the National Guard. I'll never forget when we arrived, they told us to bring in our gas cans immediately. If we left them outside, it was highly likely they would have been stolen.

We traveled the next day with the National Guard to the areas hardest hit. We went to one gas station where at least 100 people were lined up with gas cans just to get enough fuel to keep their generators running. After standing hours in the heat, only about half ended up with what they needed.

Gasoline was a hot commodity during Rita, and it could be the same way when Ike makes landfall.

You'll definitely find me at the gas station before this latest hurricane hits!