No Gas in North Carolina; Gas Stations Closed
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For two weeks in the end of September, there was no gas to be found in the county surrounding Asheville, North Carolina and most of the gas stations remained closed.
Even over a week after the main pipeline to the East Coast, the Colonial pipeline, had reopened, gas remained scarce and there were few answers as to why.
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Gas is suppose to come through the pipeline and reach the terminals in Spartanburg and Belton, which supply the mountain region, but according to the County Deputy Fire Marshal, this simply wasn’t happening.
“All they know is they’re sending trucks to Spartanburg to get gas and they’re coming back empty.”
Online discussion boards are filled with Asheville residents confused as to why there is no gas in the stations and why the media isn’t reporting on this crippling shortage. Reports are even surfacing of violent fights breaking out in gas stations, as people wait in hour long lines.
A manager at one station said they had three fights in one day over the limited supply of gas. Police began patrolling gas stations in the region and blocking some stations as they took priority for county vehicles.
Yesterday morning, about 1/3 of the gas stations remained without fuel, but deliveries are at least beginning to arrive.
“At least we’re getting deliveries. We had gas last Monday, sold out, got it Wendnesday, sold out, Friday we got three deliveries and sold out by Saturday morning,” Cindy Woodring, manager of the Texaco station, said.
The shortage problems are expected to continue through October. But a little gas is better than no gas. Maybe the media didn’t report on it, because all their cars ran out of gas.
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This is interesting because this is the first I’m hearing about it (in CA). News of the Bailout, debates, etc has pretty much taken over what’s going on with the rest of the world, let alone the US.
Actually, the shortage is happening all over the South East. Check out Atlanta, for instance, and Nashville.
I’m in Asheville and it has been a mad house here. Check out my blog for some more details.
I live in Cullowhee, NC, 45 minutes from Asheville. Luckily I don’t have a car, but my roommate and I sat in traffic for 45 minutes a couple weeks ago to get gas. UNC-A actually canceled classes, and at Western Carolina a couple of professors canceled their classes. It’s creating a lot of problems.
Bizarre… but hey, the south built a 100% car dependent infrastructure and enforced SUVs as the cultural fashion. Serves ‘em right!
This seems to be bad. I mean how to survive without fuel? Of course if it is a natural disaster there is nothing much to do but wait for it to clear away.