North Carolina Declares State of Emergency as Residents Wait on Gas Lines for Hours

May
11, 2021

3 min read

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North Carolina has declared a state of emergency after a cyberattack struck a crucial pipeline on the East Coast.

Governor Roy Cooper ordered for the temporary suspension of “motor vehicle fuel regulations” in order to preserve the remaining fuel in the southern state.

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The Colonial Pipeline, which is responsible for delivering nearly half of the fuel that is consumed across the East Coast, carries about 3 million barrels of fuel per day from Texas all the way to New York.

The pipeline was hit by Darkside ransomware in an attack that temporarily locked and suspended the company’s computer systems, the FBI confirmed in a statement.

Drivers across North Carolina and up the East Coast are already feeling the effects of the shut down, with many lining up for ‘hours’ in order to fuel their cars.

Some gas stations and providers have already run out of fuel supply.

Prices at other stations have already skyrocketed to nearly $10 per gallon.

Colonial Pipeline released statements on their website which has since crashed, presumably due to a high volume of traffic. 

“We are experiencing temporary service disruptions to our corporate website, and it is unrelated to the ransomware,” the company said.

Governor Cooper added that he spoke with federal officials “including Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm” and that there is currently a “full court press to get the Colonial Pipeline back up and fully operating quickly.”

He urged residents to “report price gouging” as the situation continues to unfold.