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Gas demand fears spark rush to the pump
Fears of a gas shortage are prompting people to rush to the pump in the wake of an attack on the Colonial Pipeline.
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. - There are emergency declarations in D.C., Virginia, Maryland and 15 other states after a cyber attack on a major fuel pipeline that has people rushing to get gas and leaving some stations dry.
East Coast Gas Shortage: Impact on DC, Maryland and Virginia pumps
Virginia is among the states most impacted by shortages. According to data from Gas Buddy, 9 percent of Virginia gas stations were out of fuel as of Tuesday night.
And the shortage isn't stopping at the Commonwealth - as of 10 p.m., 1.1% of Maryland gas stations were without fuel.
An employee at an Exxon station on Lee Highway in Gainesville blamed the gas outage there on drivers who filled up fuel cans throughout the day.
Phil Flynn, an energy market analyst with Price Futures Group, said the gas shortages are being fueled by the rush on the pumps following the cyberattack on the nation’s largest fuel pipeline.
Hackers attacked the Colonial Pipeline computer systems demanding a ransom and shutting down the pipeline Friday.
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"This attack on U.S. energy infrastructure was a big deal," said Flynn. "It was an attack on the economy, it was an attack on the consumer, but from a real supply of gasoline situation, we really had enough supply to get through a few days. But because people are panicking, they’re filling up their gas tank, that’s causing some of these shortages."
Flynn said people should not panic or rush to get gas if you don’t need to. He said drivers will likely save money by waiting a few days because surging prices will go back to where they were once the pipeline fully reopens.