Update on May 12, 2021 6:30 pm
BLUEFIELD, VA (LOOTPRESS)– Colonial Pipeline started a restart process of their pipeline operations around 5:00 pm on Wednesday, May 12th.
“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,” said the statement.
Lootpress will continue to update readers for any additional information.
——————————————————————————————
BLUEFIELD, VA (LOOTPRESS)– Gas stations throughout Bluefield, Virginia and West Virginia have experienced gasoline shortages since May 11th.
This problem was caused by a cybersecurity hack on the Colonial Pipeline on May 7th which caused gas shortages on the east coast. States affected are: parts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey and a part of Pennsylvania.
Colonial Pipeline put out a statement assuring citizens that they are making progress to restore to normal service.
“Colonial Pipeline continues to make forward progress in our around-the-clock efforts to return our system to service, with additional laterals operating manually to deliver existing inventories to markets along the pipeline…We are collaborating with the Department of Energy to evaluate market conditions to support this prioritization,” said the statement.
According to GasBuddy, which is an app for real-time to track fuel availability, 44 percent of gas stations in Virginia have sold out. Because Bluefield is on the Virginia and West Virginia side, frantic customers have started to deplete the gas stations in the Bluefield, WV and Princeton, WV area.
We talked to gas stations all located in Bluefield, VA: Shell, Corner Mart, Sam’s Club, and Food City.
“We have gas,” said Shell owner Scott Whitt.
Whitt told Lootpress that on May 11th, he ran out of gasoline at around 2:30-3:00 pm. Today, he received a delivery for gas but was told he didn’t know when the next shipment would be.
Customer Elizabeth Johnson is afraid she might not be able to go to work.
“I’m starting to become concerned because I’m a travel nurse and I don’t know if I’ll be able to leave,” said Johnson. “I think people are panic buying rightfully so, but that’s what’s causing the shortage,” she finished.
Food City manager Mike Goodson also received a gasoline delivery this morning but was also told they didn’t know when another shipment was coming.
“I just hope it’s something that ends as quick as it can,” said Goodson.
Workers at Corner Mart were called out for ‘price gouging’ their gas but they say they’re competing with other gas stations.
One of the gas station workers at Sam’s Club also thinks that people are panic buying.
“We haven’t put a limit on our gas and we have people pulling up not only filing up the tanks of their vehicles but then filling up five or six containers,” said the Sam’s Club employee.
Containers that people filled up gasoline with are not authorized containers. They ranged from grocery bags, to buckets, and the US Consumer Product Safety Commission is letting people know it’s not safe.
“We know this sounds simple, but when people get desperate they stop thinking clearly. They take risks that can have deadly consequences. If you know someone who is thinking about bringing a container not meant for fuel to get gas, please let them know it’s dangerous,” said the statement on Twitter.
Gas stations in Princeton, WV are facing shortages from Virginia drivers. The Sheetz station on Courthouse Road, Exxon on Ingleside Road, BP on Stafford Drive, Mobile on Meadow Field Lane are all experiencing a shortage in gas.
Lootpress will continue to update readers for any additional information.