Lines at local gas stations were extremely long late into the evening Monday as motorists heard of possible shortages and went out to fill tanks. By mid morning Tuesday, some local stations were out of gas. The shortage is apparently the result of decreased supply due to a cyberattack on one of the nations largest gasoline pipeline companies, Colonial. It shut down a main distribution line that runs up the east coast from Texas to New York. Colonial official are saying the pipeline should back online by Friday. (Photo by David Rogers)
Colonial Pipeline cyber attack causing supply problems
“While average gas prices jumped last week as the nation continues to see COVID-19 recovery, all eyes are now on the Colonial Pipeline and the fact a cyberattack has completely shut all lines, leading to what could become a major challenge for fuel delivery,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy. “The situation is growing more intense each day that passes without the pipeline restarting, and motorists are advised to show extreme restraint or exacerbate and prolong the challenges. If the pipeline returns to service in the next day or two, the challenges will be minimal, but if full restart doesn’t happen by then, we’re likely to see a slight rise in gas prices, but more importantly, challenges for motorists needing fuel in Georgia, Tennessee, the Carolinas, Virginia, Northern Florida and surrounding areas. I’m hopeful the situation will quickly improve as multiple levels of government are involved, this may become a nightmare should it continue just ahead of the start of the summer driving season. GasBuddy will continue to watch the situation and update as necessary.”
