Gov. Kay Ivey on Tuesday urged the public not to rush to gas stations amid a panic over a gas pipeline shutdown, and her office said a gas shortage hasn’t reached Alabama.
Ivey spoke with the U.S. Department of Energy and was assured the gas pipeline shut down by hackers would be back online in a few days, Ivey’s press secretary, Gina Maiola, said in a statement.
“She is urging Alabamians and others to not panic and to use good judgement. A shortage has not reached Alabama at this time, and she reminds us that an overreaction would only lead to that. Be courteous, only fill up your if you need to, and do not fill up multiple containers,” Maiola said. Ivey in a tweet said the same.
“Folks, it should be operational in a few days. Please do not fill up your car unless you need to and do not fill multiple containers. Overreacting creates more of a shortage. Please use common sense and patience!” Ivey tweeted.
Several gas stations in Calhoun County were either out of gas Tuesday or had only premium gas left. The Colonial Pipeline, which supplies nearly half of the East Coast’s gas, was shut down Friday by what federal officials believe is a hacker group based in Russia, which those officials say stole data and sought a ransom to restore the pipeline’s functioning.
“We are monitoring supply shortages in parts of the Southeast and are evaluating every action the Administration can take to mitigate the impact as much as possible. The President has directed agencies across the Federal Government to bring their resources to bear to help alleviate shortages where they may occur,” said White House press secretary Jen Psaki in a statement Monday.
