Nearly 90% of gas stations in Washington, D.C. were out of fuel during the peak of the gas shortage Sunday night.
GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan reported Sunday evening that 12,466 gas stations were out of fuel, including 88% of all gas stations in the nation’s capital. The number of gas outages in D.C. had increased by 16% since De Haan’s update just a few hours earlier. (RELATED: Man Loads 4 Gas Cans Into His Hummer, Causing Huge Explosion)
Gas outages by state, 8pm CT, chg since last update:
AL 8% N/C
DC 88% +19%
DE 2% N/C
FL 19% N/C
GA 43% +1%
KY 2% N/C
LA 0% N/C
MD 29% N/C
TOTAL 12,466 stns without gas
MS 6% N/C
NC 58% N/C
NJ 1% N/C
SC 50% +2%
TN 27% N/C
TX 0% N/C
VA 33% -1%
WV 6% N/C+— Patrick De Haan ⛽️???? (@GasBuddyGuy) May 17, 2021
Since then, the number of gas stations without fuel has been steadily dropping. By Monday afternoon, 69% of D.C. gas stations were without fuel, and the total number of stations without gas had dropped to 11,667.
Gas outages by state, 12pm CT, chg since last update:
AL 7% N/C
DC 69% +2%
DE 2% N/C
FL 17% N/C
GA 40% -1%
KY 2% N/C
LA 3% N/C
MD 26% N/C
MS 6% N/C
NC 51% -1%
NJ 1% N/C
SC 45% -2%
TN 26% N/C
TX 2% N/C
VA 30% -1%
WV 5% N/C
TOTAL 11,667 stns without gas— Patrick De Haan ⛽️???? (@GasBuddyGuy) May 17, 2021
Gas prices jumped across the East Coast, according to De Haan. North Carolina and Tennessee had the biggest jump in gas prices with an average increase of 20 cents per gallon. The price of gas in South Carolina increased by 19 cents per gallon, and gas in Virginia and Georgia increased by 18 cents per gallon. Maryland, Alabama, West Virginia, Mississippi, and Delaware also saw a jump in prices.
#GasPrice jumps in the outage area have been sizeable. Weekly jump in avg, biggest rise WoW:
NC +20c/gal
TN +20c/gal
SC +19c/gal
VA +18c/gal
GA +18c/gal
MD +16c/gal
AL +15c/gal
WV +11c/gal
MS +10c/gal
DE +9c/gal— Patrick De Haan ⛽️???? (@GasBuddyGuy) May 17, 2021
Gas shortages began across the East Coast after a cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline, which supplied about half of all fuel in that part of the country. The resulting fuel shortages prompted several governors to declare a state of emergency.
Long lines formed at the few lucky stations that still had gas. People were seen buying large quantities of gas out of fear during the shortages, including some who filled plastic bags and other non-approved containers with fuel.