TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Gas shortages are being reported the Big Bend area and south Georgia after the Colonial Pipeline in Alpharetta shut down.
ABC 27 received a report that police are directing traffic at Sams' Club due to the long lines as well as a report of no gas at the Circle K on Thomasville/Bannerman as well as the Chevron on Thomasville just before Bannerman.
In a statement to ABC 27, Shell Global said:
"We are actively engaged with Colonial Pipeline to understand steps they are taking to resolve this issue. It’s still too early to know about the potential impacts to product flow."
Shell station on Hwy 19 south in Taylor County.
Chevron located on Hwy 19 south.
Murphy USA, located in a Walmart parking lot in Perry, FL.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services says it is aware ofissues that may potentially disrupt normal fuel pricing and sales in Floridan after the "cybersecurity hack" of the pipeline.
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried shared a video update on social media, warning against "panic-buying" gas:
“FDACS was recently alerted to a potential disruption in the fuel supply impacting the Pensacola region. This specific disruption is due to a company servicing that area that is unable to meet EPA standards on federal gasoline requirements under the Clean Air Act, which must be met annually by May 1. Given the federal regulation of this issue, FDACS immediately contacted the EPA to ensure situational awareness and facilitate direct communication with industry operators. We continue to encourage the company to quickly resolve this issue and mitigate any impact on the community and residents. In general, Floridians may expect some fuel pricing and sales issues in the coming days due to several factors. These include the temporary shutdown of a major U.S. fuel pipeline due to a cyberattack, causing fuel to be trucked in to certain regions, as well as a shortage of truck drivers currently affecting both the fuel industry and agriculture industry. FDACS and I are in close, ongoing communication with the EPA, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the petroleum industry regarding this matter, and all partners ask that residents not panic-buy gas, hoard gas, or form long lines at gas stations, as fuel continues to move around our state.”
The FBI has confirmed that a criminal gang known as DarkSide is responsible for a cyberattack targeting the country’s largest fuel pipeline system.
The shutdown of the pipeline that carries gasoline and other fuel from Texas to the Northeast is continuing, and gas prices are ticking upward and gas supplies are running low.
According to the Colonial Pipeline, the company was a "victim of a cybersecurity attack" on Friday. The system quickly went offline, preventing the transportation of fuel to the East Coast.
Colonial Pipeline said it was actively in the process of restoring some of its IT systems. It says it remains in contact with law enforcement and other federal agencies, including the Department of Energy, which is leading the federal government response. The company has not said what was demanded.
