The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles area began climbing again, rising 4.1 cents to $2.974 for the week ended Oct. 3.

L.A. prices are 76.5 cents higher than they were a year ago, according to the federal Energy Information Administration, due to the effects of two strong hurricanes that damaged Gulf Coast petroleum operations.

Statewide, prices gained 2.6 cents to $2.973 from $2.947 one week earlier, leaving them 77.5 cents higher than year-ago rates. After having the highest-priced gas in the nation last week, California was eclipsed by Florida, where prices soared 18.9 cents to $2.984.

Miami was the most expensive city in the nation, barely out-pricing San Francisco, as the cost of a gallon there leaped 10.8 cents to $3.001. Los Angeles was third.

Minnesota had the lowest-priced gas of the states surveyed, at $2.785 per gallon, and the city with cheapest gas was Seattle, which gained less than one-tenth of a cent to $2.852 per gallon.