GREENSBORO, N.C. — Colonial Pipeline said it’s temporarily closing off two fuel lines in the South due to Hurricane Ida and that has many drivers wondering if we’re going to see higher gas prices or even a gas shortage soon.
According to the pipeline, it was shutting down fuel lines between Houston, Texas, and Greensboro, North Carolina, on Sunday. The company called the temporary move “a precautionary and routine safety measure.”
It expects the pipeline to get back to full service after the storm, but must first evaluate its infrastructure and execute a startup plan.
The company sent Action 9′s Jason Stoogenke a statement, which read “fuel supply continues to be available throughout the Southeast from the numerous terminals located along the supply route.”
Patrick De Haan of GasBuddy said that it’s routine for a gas company to close lines in cases like this. He thinks there may be a bump in prices but not too much.
“This is going to be fairly minor – a few cents a gallon,” he told Stoogenke. “Maybe as much as five or 15 cents. I think in a worst-case scenario, 15 cents. But this is not a Colonial Pipeline outage that’s going to be a long period of time. This is not a Hurricane Harvey. This is not a Hurricane Katrina.”
[ ALSO READ: Settlement reached in massive Colonial Pipeline gasoline spill in Huntersville ]
GasBuddy’s stats on Monday morning:
- North Carolina’s average was $2.87, up a one cent.
- South Carolina’s was $2.82, down a 1.5 cent.
- All the counties in the Charlotte area were lower than their state averages:
- Lincoln and York: $2.76
- Cabarrus and Union:$2.82
- Gaston and Iredell: $2.83
- Mecklenburg: $2.85
Stoogenke asked De Haan about gas shortages.
“If everyone can just react accordingly -- if you need gas, get it. If you don’t, don’t get it -- we will make it through this just fine. But if humans all react by panicking and filling up, then the problem just like April is going to be much worse,” he said.
Officials said the Colonial Pipeline lines are expected to be restored by Monday night. The 5,500-mile pipeline provides nearly half of the East Coast’s gasoline and diesel.
Colonial Pipeline said its other two fuel lines will remain operational and will not be impacted by the storm.
This is the same pipeline that was forced to go offline after a ransomware attack in May. That led to panic buying and a gas shortage that stretched across the Southeast.
Jim Miller owns a 1963 Ford Galaxy 500, which consumes a lot of petrol.
“Gas is always going to go up. Guess what? We’re always going to have to just suck it up,” he said. “You have a choice? No. You don’t.”
Motorist Mikki Buff said she usually leaves her muscle car at home to save money normally and especially now.
“I have a little car that runs really good on gas and, then, the Mustang sits,” she said.
(Watch Below: The Colonial Pipeline cyberattack shows how vulnerable America is to cyber terrorists)
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