Updated May 12, 2021 - Economy

Colonial Pipeline hack: Gas shortage grips southeast U.S.

Jacob Knutson

A person filling multiple gas canisters at a gas station in Benson, North Carolina, on May 12. Photo: Sean Rayford/Getty Images

At least 11 states and Washington, D.C. are experiencing gas shortages after a ransomware attack forced Colonial Pipeline, a critical pipeline running from Texas to New York, offline on Saturday, according to crowdsourced data collected by the app GasBuddy.

Why it matters: The event demonstrates how a cyber breach of critical infrastructure can cripple large swaths of the country and that no company is safe from ransomware attempts.

By the numbers: The percentage of gas stations with fuel outages per state and D.C. as of 2:48 p.m. ET, according to GasBuddy:

Georgia: 43%
Alabama: 7%
Tennessee: 16%
South Carolina: 43%
North Carolina: 65%
Florida: 11%
Virginia: 44%
Maryland: 11%
Mississippi: 5%
West Virginia: 4%
Kentucky: 2%
District of Columbia: 10%

Of note: All data reported by GasBuddy is crowdsourced from app users and therefore may not reflect the most current information.

What they're saying: Patrick De Haan, a senior petroleum analyst at Gasbuddy, said in a tweet Tuesday that gasoline demand increased by 14.3% compared to the prior Tuesday, while week-to-date demand is up 10.7%.

De Haan added in another tweet that the shortages may be the result of a lack of drivers to transport fuel rather than a lack of supply.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said during a press conference Wednesday that President Biden is "using every lever of government to ensure we reduce the impact on the American people and their lives."

The big picture: The Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued a regional emergency declaration for 17 states and D.C. to keep fuel supply lines open on Monday.

The governors of Florida, Georgia, Virginia and North Carolina declared states of emergency on Tuesday due to shortage concerns.
Colonial said in a statement Monday that segments of the pipeline are being brought back online in a "stepwise fashion," with the goal of "substantially restoring operational service by the end of the week."

Go deeper: The ransomware pandemic

Editor's note: This story has been update with new data from GasBuddy.

Add Axios on Google

Colonial Pipeline hack: Gas shortage grips southeast U.S.

What to read next