Residents seeking fuel for generators and vehicles said they spent hours searching for stations with available gasoline as power restoration efforts continued.
Tamika, who lives in Chicago Heights, said she needed fuel to keep her generator running at home.
"So I got a generator running at the house and ran out of gas in the middle of the night, and then it started raining this morning, so we're just trying to keep the power on and keep the refrigerator running."
Some residents said the situation was unlike anything they had previously experienced.
"It's rough man I've been out here almost 30 years, and I've never seen the tornadoes and all the stuff going on. This is almost worst than Covid to me it's rough," Henry Bentley said.
People waiting in line said they had driven from station to station in search of fuel.
Tamika said she visited multiple locations before finding gas.
"This is probably the sixth gas station I've been to just been driving around going to gas stations," Tamika said. "They're open but they don't have gas."
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Indiana officials reported gas shortages and power issues in the state and urged residents to purchase gasoline in Illinois. The shortages brought some Indiana residents across state lines in search of fuel.
Mary Chakonas of Dyer, Indiana, said a lack of available gasoline prompted her family to travel west.
"We've got no gas out there. We went to Casey's and they had 100 people there, so my husband said let's come west."
As demand increased, some motorists said they noticed higher fuel prices.
Tamika said the shortages appeared to be affecting costs at the pump.
"The prices are higher definitely and I can't even log into my rewards because the system is down, so I can't even save any money at the pump."
ABC7 has reached out to the attorney general in Illinois and Indiana, but they have not returned requests for comment.