LEE COUNTY, Fla. — Governor DeSantis had declared a state of emergency due to the Colonial Pipeline shutdown.
After the announcement gas stations started seeing a rush of customers causing some local stations to run out of gas.
RELATED: EMERGENCY ALERT: FUEL AVAILABILITY TRACKER (GasBuddy)
The order allows the state to relax certain guidelines, so more gas trucks can get on the road. And get gas to pump like these faster.
Our state's Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is also taking action.
She says the shortage there is due to panic buying because of the cyber-attack and not a supply issue.
You may hear about potential disruptions to fuel supply, sales, and pricing in Florida.@FDACS is in contact with @EPA, @ENERGY, and the fuel industry. What you can do:
— Commissioner Nikki Fried (@NikkiFriedFL) May 10, 2021
❌Don’t panic-buy gas
❌Don’t hoard gas
❌Don’t form long gas station lines
✅Call 800-HELP-FLA if questions pic.twitter.com/KMWWh3BgCq
There are also other factors Including a shortage of fuel truck drivers.
Her big message is don't rush out to the pumps unless you need to.
The governor's order also activates the Florida National Guard as needed.
It's important to note that when it comes to our state Triple-A says we do not largely depend on gasoline from the Colonial Pipeline.
That means we should be well-supplied, unlike states who are really experiencing a shortage.
GasBuddy has activated its ability to find gas in certain areas.
