Charlotte drivers snarled again in long lines as they search for gas around town

Joe Marusak, Jonathan Limehouse

Charlotte-area drivers encountered a second straight day of long lines at the pump on Wednesday — if they were lucky enough to find any gasoline at all.

About 71% of Charlotte gas stations had no gasoline as of Wednesday morning, GasBuddy.com reported, and the numbers were just as bad or worse elsewhere across the Carolinas.

In Raleigh/Durham, 72% of stations had no gasoline and 78% in Asheville and Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C., according to GasBuddy.com.

A ransomware attack that targeted Colonial Pipeline on Friday forced the shutdown of the 5,550-mile pipeline that delivers 45 percent of fuel in the Southeast and along the East Coast. The FBI on Monday blamed the attack on DarkSide, a “professional” group of hackers, McClatchy News reported.

The pipeline crosses through Charlotte and the Carolinas. Colonial has a tank farm in northwest Charlotte.

Colonial has said it hopes to restore most operations by the end of the week, the New York Times reported.

Vehicles line up at gas station on South Blvd in Charlotte, N.C., on Wednesday morning May 12, 2021.
Vehicles line up at gas station on South Blvd in Charlotte, N.C., on Wednesday morning May 12, 2021.

Gas prices on the rise

The average price for regular unleaded in Charlotte and the rest of the state averaged about $2.85 on Wednesday morning, and is likely to continue to rise, AAA reported.

Charlotte’s average regular unleaded price averaged $2.66 a week ago, according to AAA.

Nationally, the average price jumped 6 cents in a week to $2.96., AAA reported. And Wednesday morning, the price climbed even higher, averaging about $3 a gallon for regular unleaded, AAA officials said.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency on Monday and suspended “motor vehicle fuel regulations to ensure adequate fuel (supplies) throughout the state.” On Tuesday, he urged residents not to “rush to top off” their tanks.

Gas stations across the Charlotte area saw long lines and many ran out of gas by Tuesday afternoon, according to reports from drivers across social media and Observer staff members.

ExxonMobil is working with its independent distributors and wholesale customers to supply fuel to areas affected by the pipeline shutdown and help meet consumer demand, company spokeswoman Julie L. King wrote in an email to the Observer on Tuesday.

“Efforts are under way to quickly transport refined products from unaffected regions to communities and customers in the most severely impacted markets,” she said.

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No issues yet, CMPD says

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has seen no “widespread crime-related issues associated with the shortage,” the department said on Twitter on Wednesday morning.

“Patrol officers have been instructed to conduct consistent zone checks in response areas with gas stations to ensure operations are running as smoothly as possible.,” CMPD said.

At a news conference later Wednesday morning, CMPD Capt. Brad Koch said that before this week’s rush on gas pumps, police had experienced no fuel issues, “because we have been filling up our gas tanks” at the same places residents do.

A public safety emergency reserve exists for extreme circumstances, he said.

“Bottom line, this is not going to affect the operations of the police department at all,” said Koch, who heads the Central Division.

Officers are responding to 911 calls for service, but CMPD asks residents to call 311 for non-emergency requests or go to CMPD.org to file reports.

Police encourage residents to limit nonessential travel, to check on neighbors — especially older adults — and to not hoard fuel.

Koch said he had not heard of “gas rage” incidents, but he can see situations developing if the gas crisis continues.

“Treat each other with grace and courtesy and compassion and understanding, and know that we as a community are going to get through this fuel crisis,” Koch said.

A gas pump is covered with an Out of Service cover at Circle K at 7040 N Tryon Street on Tuesday, May 11, 2021 as motorist started making runs on gas stations in the wake of the Colonial Pipeline cyberattack.
A gas pump is covered with an Out of Service cover at Circle K at 7040 N Tryon Street on Tuesday, May 11, 2021 as motorist started making runs on gas stations in the wake of the Colonial Pipeline cyberattack.

Price gouging law in NC

North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein said on Tuesday the state’s price gouging law is in effect.

Residents who believe they are victims of price gouging can report concerns by calling 877-5-NO-SCAM or by filing a complaint at https://ncdoj.gov/file-a-complaint/price-gouging/.

Ways to conserve fuel

AAA offers these tips on saving the gasoline that’s left in your tank:

▪ Plan ahead to accomplish multiple errands in one trip.

▪ If you own more than one car, use the most fuel-efficient model.

▪ Remove unnecessary and bulky items from your car. It takes more fuel to accelerate a heavier car.

▪ Minimize your use of air conditioning.

▪ In hot weather, park in the shade or use a windshield sunscreen to lessen heat buildup inside the car.

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