WCCB Charlotte's CW May 12, 2021 CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Drivers are growing frustrated as panic-buying leads to a gas shortage. Both North and South Carolina are under a State of Emergency and price gouging laws are in effect. Colonial Pipeline still hopes to have everything back online by the end of the week, after a ransomware attack forced it to shut down its pipeline. But it’s not soon enough to prevent the panic-buying across the area. “Man, this has been a struggle. This is my third stop,” explains South Charlotte resident Rakeem Lewis. Lewis traveled from South Charlotte to Carowinds Boulevard in search of gas.