North Carolina drivers are in desperate need of gas and are forming long lines at gas stations just days after a hack shut down a crucial pipeline.
The Colonial Pipeline, which gives around 45% of gas for the East Coast, is a top pipeline for the state, according to Governor Roy Cooper.
The pipeline, which brings a large amount of gas from Texas to the Northeast, was not working on Monday night with the anticipated that it might return to a working state later in the week.
On Monday, Cooper put out a state of emergency “stopping motor vehicle fuel rules to ensure proper fuel supply supplies through the state.”
The “emergency declaration will help the state prepare for any possible fuel supply problems and ensure drivers have fuel,” Cooper said.
On May 7, Colonial Pipeline announced it was hit with a ransomware hack, which is an attack where the suspects takeover computer systems by encrypting the victim’s data, stopping networks, and then demand a ransom to unfreeze it.
Colonial Pipeline reported it was working to restore its IT systems. However, experts say Americans might still face higher gas prices as a result of the worst cyberattack against critical U.S. infrastructure.
Meanwhile, the company’s CEO, Joseph Blount, warned government officials this week to be ready for potential fuel shortages.
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