Chapel Hill, N.C. — North Carolina gas stations are expected to have another busy day on Thursday.
Businesses will likely deal with another chaotic stretch of drivers showing up in big numbers to fill up their cars after nearly three-fourths of the stations in the state dealt with fuel outages at one point on Wednesday.
The phenomenon is now at its fourth day in North Carolina as motorists search for fuel to get to work, home and school.
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and Virginia Governor Ralph Northam both declared states of emergency to help ensure supply and access to gas. Gov. Cooper urged drivers not to "panic-buy" on Wednesday, but that didn't stop the trend from continuing.
Gas is flowing again through the Colonial Pipeline, but experts said it could be several days before the struggle to find gas subsides. Friday is known as the busiest day to fill up.
"You're probably looking at Sunday or Monday before things are back to normal," said Rice University professor Dr. Ken Medlock. "Some of the stations that I've already seen that are out of fuel will have fuel again."
The Attorney General's office said it had received 392 complaints of price gouging at stations. On Thursday morning, AAA noted the average price in Wake County was $2.89 and similar prices were posted in Durham County ($2.93) and Cumberland County ($2.87).
"If I did find a gas station that was open, the line was a quarter-to-a-half-mile long," said Thomas Dowd, who drove to the Chapel Hill station from Raleigh. "It'd take you upwards of an hour to get in there."
A Shell station off NC 54 in Chapel Hill did have regular unleaded gas. Super and premium brands were unavailable. You can check on the availability of gas in your community by using the WRAL Fuel Tracker.
Tow truck drivers in the area are fearing the gas shortage could lead to an increase in crashes. Karl Neal with Colt-land Towing & Recovery said he's already seen accidents occur at a gas station.
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May 13, 2021 at 04:20PM
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Search for gas continues for many NC drivers - WRAL.com
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