//Colonial Pipeline shutdown: Explaining the U.S. gasoline supply chain

Colonial Pipeline shutdown: Explaining the U.S. gasoline supply chain

If you’ve stopped for gas in the past 48 hours, you likely noticed higher than normal prices. You might have even seen limits on how much you can get, or worse, no gas at all.

The Colonial Pipeline, which is responsible for nearly half of the East Coast’s fuel supply, remains mostly shut down after a cyberattack in recent days. Experts believe this could lead to some serious problems if the pipeline isn’t back up and running in the next couple of days.

Once word of a potential shortage took off, gas stations saw long lines with some stores running out entirely. Others saw prices skyrocket above $3 a gallon Monday night.

“It’s terrible,” said Wendy James, who was driving from Winston-Salem back to South Carolina Tuesday. “I’m worried about it. I know the prices are getting ready to going through the roof.”

A spokesperson for AAA of the Carolinas cautioned against panicking and filling up your gas tank unnecessarily.

“We are our own worst enemy,” Tiffany Wright said. “When it comes to these things, we talk about the bread and the milk and people going out during the pandemic, it was the toilet paper. It’s a knee-jerk reaction we go and we panic and we overconsume.”

South Carolina Governor Weighs In on Gas Supply

“There is no need to rush to top off your gas tanks or hoard gas – the pipeline is expected to resume operations by the end of the week,” said Gov. McMaster.