Some Georgians are scrambling to refuel as nearly 60% of gas stations in metro Atlanta run out of gasoline.
That’s according to an analyst from GasBuddy, an app that tracks industry trends in real time. The figure is current as of nearly 7 a.m. Wednesday morning (May 12), and has “held steady” since around 1 a.m.
GasBuddy data also show that 17.5% of gas stations in all of Georgia are without gasoline as of about 10 a.m. Wednesday.
The gas scarcity and spiking prices comes after the Colonial Pipeline Company was forced to shut down pipes because of a cyber attack.
Atlanta isn’t alone.
Worries of gas shortages are popping up all over the Southeast, including in North Carolina, Virginia and South Carolina, among others. Earlier data show that Wednesday morning, about 15.4% of Georgia gas stations had shut down.
Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm clarified that this isn’t a “gas shortage,” but a “supply crunch.” Officials are asking drivers to avoid hoarding gas and expect to return to normal “soon.”
Still, gas station managers are feeling the temporary crunch.
“This is the first time this is happening to my gas station in Atlanta,” gas station manager Raton Das told 11 Alive. “The store’s open because I have to sell groceries but that’s all I’m doing right now. I cannot close my store because I have to pay my rent.”
On Tuesday (May 11), Gov. Brian Kemp signed an executive order suspending the gas tax in Georgia.
Check the GasBuddy app or go to tracker.gasbuddy.com to check gas availability.
Photo: Getty Images