North Carolina residents flocked to gas pumps this week amid concerns over a cyber-attack on the Colonial Pipeline, which delivers roughly 45 percent of fuel consumed on the East Coast.

Although the pipeline has since been manually restored, North Carolina officials are urging people not to panic-buy and stockpile gasoline.

“I have talked today with federal officials including Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and we have a full court press to get the Colonial Pipeline back up and fully operating quickly,” wrote Governor Roy Cooper on Twitter on Tuesday. “Report price gouging and please don’t rush to top off your tanks.”

Public officials said the sudden shortage and price increase in gasoline has more to do with panic-buying by consumers rather than the pipeline shutdown.

On Wednesday, lines were long at gas stations in Chapel Hill and Orange County. At the Circle K station by the University Place mall, lines stretched onto Fordham Boulevard as residents waited for gas.

Patrick De Haan, who leads petroleum analysis with GasBuddy, wrote on Twitter on Wednesday morning more than 70 percent of gas stations in Raleigh and Durham were without gas. In addition, he added that North Carolina leads all states in terms of percent of stations without gasoline on the East Coast.

A search on tracker.gasbuddy.com shows that the majority of gas stations in Chapel Hill and Durham are labeled as yellow, meaning they have “limited fuel options.”

On Twitter, De Haan echoed state and federal leaders by encouraging people to wait out the situation — saying that panic-buying gasoline would only make the situation worse.

“We’re only a couple days away from restoration,” the fuel analyst wrote. “There is truly no reason to fill your tanks to the brim. You’re self inflicting more weeks of outages by not taking this seriously.”

Governor Cooper announced earlier this week that the Environmental Protection Agency has waived certain fuel requirements to increase fuel supplies to North Carolina in response to the pipeline shutdown.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters.

 

Related Stories
‹
How ChatGPT and Other AI Tools Are Changing the Teaching Profession
Across the country, AI tools are changing the teaching profession as educators use them to help do many of their out-of-class tasks.
Rep. Robert Reives Talks Kamala Harris, Roy Cooper, and More
NC House Minority Leader and District 54 Representative Robert Reives spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Friday, July 26. He discussed the change at the top of the Democratic ticket for president, telling the story of how he learned the news of Biden stepping down after having his phone on airplane mode for a long flight. He described the feelings of optimism that followed the string of endorsements for Vice President Harris, and talked about what happens next. He discussed Gov. Roy Cooper as a possible Vice President, and more.
NC Teachers Group Critical of Proposed License, Pay Overhaul
Written by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Members of North Carolina’s leading teacher advocacy group criticized on Tuesday a proposed overhaul of public school instructor pay and licensing, saying that implementing such changes would make existing classroom staffing challenges even worse. The state Department of Public Instruction released to the State Board of Education in April a “sample” […]
Chapel Hill Police Investigating Bank Robbery off Elliott Road
The Chapel Hill Police Department is investigating a bank robbery on Tuesday afternoon. A release from the department shortly after 4 p.m. revealed police arrested a suspect in a bank robbery at the State Employees’ Credit Union branch at 110 South Elliott Road. Police said officers arrived just before noon to calls about a robbery […]
Chapel Hill Police Detain 1 Suspect in SECU Bank Robbery
The Chapel Hill Police Department is investigating a bank robbery on Friday morning, with one suspect detained by the authorities. A release from the department said at 10:01 a.m., officers responded to a robbery at the State Employees’ Credit Union located at 310 Pittsboro Street, which is nearby to UNC’s campus. Police said no weapon […]
SECU Awards $350,000 Grant For Construction of New Club Nova Facility
For many in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro region, the nonprofit Club Nova has served as both a refuge and a beacon of hope. Since 1987, Club Nova has served those in the Orange County community dealing with serious mental illnesses by providing support, education and employment opportunities. After being hit hard by the pandemic in 2020, […]
Union Will Defend Teachers in ‘Critical Race Theory’ Fights
Written by COLLIN BINKLEY One of the nation’s largest teachers unions on Tuesday vowed to defend members who are punished for teaching an “honest history” of the United States, a measure that’s intended to counter the wave of states seeking to limit classroom discussion on race and discrimination. In a virtual address to members of […]
Gov. Cooper Lifts North Carolina's Mask and Social Distancing Requirements, Follows CDC Guidance
Following guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control, Governor Roy Cooper announced new executive orders in North Carolina that lift most mask requirements for fully-vaccinated people and social distancing measures. Cooper shared the change to public health guidelines on Friday afternoon, marking a shift back to much of life before the coronavirus pandemic led […]
'It's Not About Me': CHCCS Teachers Provide Support Through Pandemic
As local K-12 schools begin to wrap up their spring semesters, some teachers are still trying to come to terms with the past year. 
Triangle Residents Flock to Gas Pumps as Gov. Cooper Preaches Patience
North Carolina residents flocked to gas pumps this week amid concerns over a cyber-attack on the Colonial Pipeline, which delivers roughly 45 percent of fuel consumed on the East Coast. Although the pipeline has since been manually restored, North Carolina officials are urging people not to panic-buy and stockpile gasoline. “I have talked today with […]
›