Problem solved. I had already checked fuses 10 & 44 as advised by others. Another later advised checking # 24 and it was blown. FUSE 24 is listed as Inside light and diagnostics connection. Everything works now. I'm a happy camper.
P.S. Just to explain the reason for the loss of gauges; it was a glove compartment light module that had fallen out of its cubby and shorted out causing the #24 fuse to blow. It wasn't the hard to relate running out of gas! My wife had opened the glove compartment while we were waiting for the rescue service and knocked against the fixture. it was just a coincidence. I confirmed the cause today, when I attempted to reinstall the fixture and caused it to short out with the now known loss of gauges associated with #24 fuse.