A recent refinery issue has caused a surge in gas prices ahead of Labor Day weekend. The national average for a gallon of regular went up more than seven cents this past week to $3.21 mainly due to flooding at BP Whiting Refinery in Indiana. The largest refinery in the Midwest shut down operations for several days following a severe thunderstorm. As a result, states in the Great Lakes region saw an increase in gas prices, but they may get some relief soon now that the refinery is back online. “Overall, summer gas prices have remained steady and should trend downward as the fall season begins,” says Doug Johnson, spokesperson with AAA Mountain West Group. “The incident in Indiana underscores the futility of predicting gas prices. Mother Nature and geopolitical events can suddenly and unexpe

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