Colonial Pipeline said Wednesday that it has resumed gas pipeline operations after it was forced to halt after being hit with a cyberattack last week.
The shut-off of the pipeline, the primary fuel conduit serving the East Coast, spurred many people on the East Coast and in the Southeast
into panic-buying with some hoarding gas and drained supplies at thousands of gas stations.
Average gas prices are above $3 and some stations in the Southeast are running out or low on fuel.
Across North Carolina, for example, 71% of stations were out of gas as of Wednesday evening, according to fuel-savings app GasBuddy. In the Atlanta area, it was also about 71%.
Customers wait in line to fill their vehicles with gas at a Costco gas station on Tuesday in Nashville. It will take several days for the supply chain of fuel to return to normal even after Colonial said late on Thursday it had brought its entire pipeline system back into operation.
It will take several days for the supply chain of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel to normalize fully even after the restart of full operations at a critical pipeline that was shut down this month.
Colonial Pipeline said late Thursday it had brought its entire pipeline system back into operation, noting that product delivery has commenced to all markets we serve.
Customers wait in line to fill up their tanks this week at a Costco gas station in Nashville, Tenn. It will take several days for the supply chain of fuel to return to normal even after Colonial Pipeline said it had brought its entire pipeline system back into operation. Brett Carlsen/Getty Images
toggle caption Brett Carlsen/Getty Images
Customers wait in line to fill up their tanks this week at a Costco gas station in Nashville, Tenn. It will take several days for the supply chain of fuel to return to normal even after Colonial Pipeline said it had brought its entire pipeline system back into operation.
Where can you find gas? Is it safe to take a road trip? Your questions about gas shortage answered. Gabriela Miranda, USA TODAY
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The shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline is sending thousands to fill up their tanks at gas stations. Gas prices are above $3, and some stations are running out or low on fuel. The Colonial Pipeline stretches from Texas to New Jersey and supplies almost half of the East Coast s fuel.
The pipeline shut down after a cyberattack, but the fuel company initiated the restart of pipeline operations on Wednesday. However, the Colonial Pipeline Co. added it will take several days for the product delivery supply chain to return to normal and fully replenish supplies.
Updated May 12, 2021 at 6:01 PM ET
Colonial Pipeline said on Wednesday it has initiated the restart of pipeline operations after suffering a cyberattack, while warning it would take several days for supply to return to normal.
The restart of operations starting around 5 pm ET is welcome news across the Southeast, where the cyberattack on Colonial that led the company to suspend supplies through a critical pipeline triggered a wave of panic buying that led to severe gasoline shortages over the last two days.
The announcement comes as stations have been pumping out days worth of fuel in a matter of hours, and a growing number are going empty.