ANDERSON — Gas hit $4.15 a gallon across Madison County over the weekend, causing many area drivers to pause, wondering what caused the sudden spike.

As Hurricane Ike roared into the Gulf of Mexico, news reports indicated that oil rigs in the coast were temporarily off-line, which made Ike an easy target for drivers looking for someone to blame.

Brady Burkhart of Anderson, 16, was surprised to see it rise so quickly during the week. “That’s what I’m thinking,” he said. “It was the hurricane.”

Korey Moore, 19, agreed that Ike was the most likely culprit. “You can blame the hurricane, that’s what I’ve been hearing myself.”

Janelle Boyd, 33, of Anderson, was less certain. “I don’t know. What caused gas prices to go up in the past six months? They say it’s because of Ike but I don’t know.”

Angela Barton, 33, of Anderson, had another cause in mind. “I guess it’s the war.”

Whatever the cause, Barton said the price of gas has had a clear impact on her day-to-day life. “I stay at home.”