What you need to know about the Colonial Pipeline cyberattack, gas prices, shortages

Like a clot that cuts off blood flow to the body, a cyberattack on a key artery in the nation's energy infrastructure has temporarily disrupted the transportation of fuel in the Southeastern U.S. 

The ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline is threatening to cause gas shortages and could affect prices if it continues longer than expected.

While experts are cautioning drivers not to rush to fill up, government officials are taking steps to protect Americans from gasoline price spikes and ensure that fuel can be shipped in other ways.

To be sure, the Colonial Pipeline says it's aiming to "substantially" restore service by the end of the week, which would likely limit most of the fallout. But in the next few days, motorists could feel the effects.

"You're going to see some outages," said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at fuel-savings app GasBuddy, which tracks prices and shortages.

The Colonial Pipeline system delivers about 45% of the fuel for the East Coast, including gasoline and jet fuel. It runs more than 5,500 miles from Texas to New Jersey.

States like Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida and Virginia may be especially vulnerable because they have limited options in terms of fuel transportation alternatives. Gulf Coast states can rely more easily on shipments from tankers. 

Read More:    USAtoday.com

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