PANIC AT THE PUMPS

News of a ransomware cyber attack May 7 that shut down the Colonial Pipeline and a potential gas shortage sent a flurry of buyers to the pumps in Western North Carolina beginning Monday. The pipeline is the primary fuel pipeline for N.C. and much of the Southeast.To get more news about progressive cavity pump, you can visit brysonpump.com official website.

Workers at the Hot Spot in Bryson City said it was unlike anything they had ever experienced, as they scrambled to organize the long lines of cars at the pumps.

Before long, the panic buying at gas stations throughout WNC led to some gas stations running dry and others setting limits on purchases.

At Hot Spot on Tuesday afternoon, the station still had lines outside at the pumps and no limits on gas, but the station had already run out of regular unleaded.

Stephanie Jenkins, who was working the register, described the frenzy at the station on Monday. “There was a line going in both directions into the road, we had to make people park over here, there and over here,” she said, pointing across the street and at both sides of the station.

“It was constant,” she added.

With fear of a shortage setting in, people filled up. Jenkins confirmed it was far beyond a usual fill up for many of the buyers. “People were coming in filling up all their family vehicles, gas cans —the whole nine yards.”

The station usually sees the truck once a week that refills the store’s supply of fuel. While Jenkins said the store is supposed to see another truck this week but they aren’t sure.

Other stations throughout town were just as busy Monday. In the western part of the county Monday night, the gas station lots were full after word that the two stations in town had already run out of gas hit social media.

On Tuesday afternoon, Shell in Bryson City was still without fuel and BP Local had set a $20 limit on fuel and was required drivers to pre-pay. Prices in town remained steady, with regular unleaded priced at $2.89 a gallon on average.

On Monday evening, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper declared a State of Emergency in response to the temporary shutdown of the pipeline. The order allows for fuel transportation waivers.

By Wednesday morning, Gas Buddy reported nearly 25% of gas stations in North Carolina were without fuel and that metro areas like Asheville were particularly hard it. Surrounding states also served by the pipeline including Virginia and South Carolina, were seeing fewer shortages, at about 14% reporting they were out of fuel.