Do you have enough gas for the next couple of days? Because you might see empty gas stations or skyrocketing prices as widespread from Texas, Florida, and New York. A crucial Colonial pipeline has a leak and will be shut down for days. 

The Colonial pipeline sprung a leak, leading to gas shortages 

The Colonial pipeline’s main United States gasoline artery is expected to remain shut down through Friday. It could be longer, as crews search for a suspected leak in Paulding County, Georgia. 

This shutdown could have the same length and devastating impact for drivers as the Colonial shutdown back in 2021 due to a cyberattack. 

Line 1, one of the two mainlines on the 5,500-mile system was shut down on Monday after reports of a gasoline leak. The line sends gasoline and diesel from Texas to North Carolina and New Jersey. 

It moves 1.5 million barrels daily and supplies the East Coast with about half its daily needs.According to Reuters, limited deliveries are being provided to certain areas. 

Prices remain steady in Atlanta for now, but could quickly rise. If Line 1 doesn’t get up and running by Friday before the holiday weekend, then the shortages could be severe. Fuel remains stable, with enough inventory to manage a short-term disruption. 

The extremely cold weather has increased inventories, providing a temporary buffer. The shortage shouldn’t be too bad if the pipeline is only down for three to five days. 

However, if customers panic buy and overstock then some people will be left scrambling for fuel. Panic-buying is whatcreated a massive shortage when the pipeline was hacked in 2021. 

Multiple crews are currently investigating the leak in Georgia, including federal officials. They first learned about the leak on Monday and quickly took action.