Down the street, other stations were charging $3.29 and $3.39. Across the street, where Sam's Club was charging $2.89, it was so busy that a security guard was directing traffic at the pumps.

By late afternoon, $2.99 was a memory -- and it's unlikely Triangle residents will see that price again for at least a week.

There was a hint of hope: A major pipeline from the Gulf of Mexico that was shut down by Hurricane Katrina has been partially restored. Also, the Environmental Protection Agency has waived some restrictions that will allow "winter blend" gas, which has different standards on pollutants, to be sold now.

But that didn't lower prices or calm drivers, who blamed station owners, the governor and the federal government. The state Attorney General's Office was flooded with complaints.

"We've been getting hundreds of calls today," said Noelle Talley, public information officer for the N.C. Department of Justice. "We haven't gotten any complaint forms back yet, but we've had hundreds of requests" for forms.

Many consumers, such as Four Oaks resident Doug Bowman, said the high prices were a scam and Gov. Mike Easley should have declared a state of emergency.

"It's no different than the looting you see in Louisiana," he said. "I feel like I'm getting ripped off, by the governor's permission."

Station owners say the high prices are caused by higher wholesale costs, which reached $3 a gallon after oil refineries and pipelines were shut down when Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast. North Carolina law prohibits retailers from charging less for gas than they paid wholesale. They also must pay 46 cents in federal and state taxes per gallon -- a cost they pass on to consumers.

"A few may try to take advantage of the situation, but if their price is out of line with the competition, they'll lose customers," said Jeff Lenard, spokesman for the National Association of Convenience Stores.

Meanwhile, limited shortages are showing up throughout the state. Gas from the partially restored pipeline won't reach the Carolinas until after Labor Day.

In Charlotte, up to 15 percent of stations ran out of gas Thursday, though many got new shipments a few hours later.

At the Ocean Food Mart in Bolivia, in Brunswick County, the owner closed early and was rationing the amount customers could buy.

"I let them get 10 gallons," said Mousa Helou. "I have just a little bit of gas left." He plans to get a delivery over the weekend.

It's not expected to be quite that bad in the Triangle. But AAA expects 720,000 motorists to hit the road for the holiday weekend and warns that a rush for gas may cause widespread shortages.

"If we're cautious, we may get over the Labor Day holiday without any major incidents," said AAA spokesman Tom Crosby.

He urged travelers to be alert. There is no state Web site or group that can accurately say which areas have gas and which do not.

"My best advice is to be cognizant of the fact that there may be shortages," Crosby said. "If you get down to a quarter or third of a tank and you see an open station, fill up."

It's likely that independent stations, which have smaller tanks in the ground and less bargaining power, will run out first.

"I just got a shipment, and I called my supplier this morning for another delivery and they told me not before Monday," said Mahmoud Atieh, who owns three Raleigh gas stations, including the Wolf's Den on Hodges Street.

Even large retailers aren't ruling out the possibility that their stations will run out. The Pantry, a chain of more than 1,300 convenience stores based in Sanford, is prioritizing, shuttling gas to higher-volume, bigger stores.

Katrina shut down about 90 percent of the Southeast's gas supply. Wholesale prices -- and therefore retail prices -- won't go down until there's more gas.

When will that be?

"Early next week, we'll have deliveries up to three-quarters or more of normal," said AAA's Crosby. "Plus, demand will be lower then, after the holiday."

Colonial Pipeline Co., the world's largest operator of petroleum-product pipelines, on Wednesday restarted two lines from Houston to New York harbor that had been shut down Monday. Service is at 25 percent to 35 percent of normal capacity, and Colonial is installing generators that may increase it to as much as 60 percent by the weekend, company spokesman Steve Baker said.

Gas in the pipeline moves slowly -- 7 mph -- so it will take time. And many of the refineries that feed the pipeline are still down.

Other relief may come in the form of that "winter blend" gas and the release of some of the federal reserve oil stock.

Still, next week seems pretty far away for most consumers.

"I'm a senior citizen under medical care, and so is my wife," said Robert Upperman of Garner, who waited in line Thursday to buy gas at $2.99 a gallon. "It has hurt me since it got up to $2 a gallon."

(Staff writer Vicki Lee Parker contributed to this report.)