(TargetLiberty.org) – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) has declared a state of emergency as fuel shortages start to bite, following a cyberattack by hackers that shut down one of the main East Coast energy pipelines.
Good lord no gas I went to four different stations in broward county NO GAS!
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declares state of emergency, but Sunshine State doesn't need to panic, analysts say | Fox Business – https://t.co/5Pa6pfjS9U
— Tito Puente, Jr. (@titopuentejr) May 12, 2021
Last Friday Colonial Pipeline’s IT systems were infected with ransomware, forcing them to shut down their delivery network – and knock out 45% of the East Coast’s supply of gas and diesel. Parts of the network came back up on Monday, and operations relaunched Wednesday evening. However, gas pumps have already started running dry.
Florida has escaped most of the effects of the attack because the bulk of its fuel comes from refineries on the Gulf coast, but the Panhandle gets its supplies from Georgia and is facing shortages. Panic buying has infected the whole state – many Floridians are filling containers and emptying gas stations. On May 11, DeSantis declared a state of emergency that activated the Florida National Guard and the state’s emergency management system.
DeSantis also warned that the Florida Attorney General is watching for attempts to exploit the shortage by inflating prices. He said the emergency order will stay in effect until the Colonial Pipeline is back to full capacity. The company has said it will likely take at least a few days before normal service resumes.
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