Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency on Tuesday in response to a recent closure of a major pipeline that led drivers to drain pumps in fear of a gas shortage throughout the state.
The executive order DeSantis signed on Tuesday is in response to a ransomware cyberattack that forced the Colonial Pipeline to halt all of its operations on May 7 to help contain the hack.
The nation’s largest fuel pipeline supplies about 45% of the fuel consumed in the in the southeastern U.S.
DeSantis’ executive order waives weight and size restrictions for companies to transport gasoline, jet fuel and diesel fuel, and also forbids price gouging.
The order provides additional funding for law enforcement and activates the National Guard. It directs the state’s emergency management officials to work with federal and local officials.
Central Floridians have less to worry about than other states in the southeast as it does not largely rely on the pipeline for the fuel supplies with most of its fuel being delivered from Gulf Coast refineries by ship with officials saying the state should remain well supplied.
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried on Monday told Floridians not to “panic.”
“In general, Floridians may expect some fuel pricing and sales issues in the coming days due to several factors,” Fried said in a press release. “These include the temporary shutdown of a major U.S. fuel pipeline due to a cyberattack, causing fuel to be trucked in to certain regions, as well as a shortage of truck drivers currently affecting both the fuel industry and agriculture industry.”
Analysts have said that panic-buying among drivers have led to a large part of more than 1,000 gas stations in the Southeast running out of fuel.
This has led to long lines and gas station shortages throughout the Central Florida area with drivers resorting to filling up gas in plastic bags. The situation got so bad that the US Consumer Products Safety Commision released an official tweet warning drivers that gas doesn’t go in bags because it will eat through the plastic.
Do not fill plastic bags with gasoline.
— US Consumer Product Safety Commission (@USCPSC) May 12, 2021
Colonial Pipeline released a statement on the restart of its system, which was initiated at 5 p.m. Wednesday evening.
“Following this restart, it will take several days for the product delivery supply chain to return to normal. Some markets served by Colonial Pipeline may experience, or continue to experience, intermittent service interruptions during the start-up period,” the company said. “Colonial will move as much gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel as is safely possible and will continue to do so until markets return to normal.”
