ATLANTA — Some drivers are having a hard timing finding a place to fuel up in the wake of a cyberattack against one of the biggest fuel pipeline companies in the country.
The gas supply concern is leading to lines at metro Atlanta gas stations and even some have run dry.
Gov. Brian Kemp signed a new executive order to temporarily suspending gas sales tax in an effort to help drivers and gas stations.
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Channel 2′s Tom Regan was at a QuikTrip location on Sidney Marcus Boulevard in Atlanta where it was completely out of gas by noon Tuesday. The gas pumps have been covered up.
Regan said he saw many drivers pull into the station only to find out that it was out of gas.
“Everywhere I go there’s bags over the gas pumps and I went inside to ask, ‘Do you have gas? No, it’s all out nothing we can do,’” said driver Shannon King.
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These shortages are the result from the ransomware attack against the Alpharetta-based Colonial Pipeline. The FBI said the group behind the attack, DarkSide, is a criminal gang that projects itself as Robin Hood-type group that steals from corporations and gives a cut to charity.
Colonial Pipeline said it hopes to “substantially” restore operational service by the end of this week.
“While this situation remains fluid and continues to evolve, the Colonial operations team is executing a plan that involves an incremental process that will facilitate a return to service in a phased approach,” the company said in a news release.
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