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Fuel shortages crop up in Southeast, gas prices climb after pipeline hack

While Colonial Pipeline works to restore service after last week’s cyberattack, some gas stations in Virginia, Georgia, Florida and other states are reporting dry pumps and long lines

May 11, 2021 at 6:05 p.m. EDT
The Colonial Pipeline Co. Pelham junction and tank farm in Pelham, Alabama, U.S. (Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg)

Lines of panicked drivers overwhelmed gas stations in the Southeast on Tuesday, as rising prices fed fears of shortages in the aftermath of a ransomware attack that forced the nation’s largest fuel pipeline offline.

In Atlanta, 1 of every 5 gas stations was reported to be out of fuel Tuesday evening.