Slowly, it is getting easier to find gas in metro Atlanta.
Tuesday at noon, 51% of Metro Atlanta stations were without fuel, according to GasBuddy, which tracks gas usage and prices. That’s a clear improvement over the peak of the shutdown last Thursday, when 73% of stations had no gas. That had eased to 63% by the weekend.
Across Georgia Tuesday, gas availability varied widely. The average number of stations reported without gas in Georgia was 38%. Augusta had 36%, and Savannah 9% of stations with no gas, GasBuddy says.
Across the region, Chattanooga showed 39% of stations without fuel, and Charlotte had 45%.
“Things are getting better, looking at the numbers,” said GasBuddy analyst Allison Mac. “But it is obviously slower than we like. It will hopefully get better, and the panic might have subsided a bit.”
The Colonial Pipeline stretches from Texas to New Jersey and delivers about 45% of the gasoline consumed on the East Coast. It reported May 7 it was shutting down because of a cyberattack.
Tuesday morning, shippers reported a new problem: Colonial Pipeline’s communication system was down, but was restored before the end of the day.
Causing even more anxiety is the coming holiday season. Montrae Waiters, a AAA spokeswoman, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution the average price per gallon in the state was $2.95 Tuesday. That is eight cents higher than last Tuesday.
AAA expects more than 37 million people to travel 50 miles or more between May 27 and May 31. That’s a 60% increase from last year, when only 23 million traveled, the lowest on record since AAA began recording the number in 2000.
Even with more stations getting gas, finding it has become a game of cat and mouse for consumers.
Robert Bovell, a rideshare driver and chauffeur who lives in Midtown, depends on apps like Fuelman to find fuel compatible with his cars. He recently had to drive to a service station near the airport to get premium gas for his Mercedes after not being able to find any in the city.
Credit: Robert Bovell
Credit: Robert Bovell
“It was rough man, when you see these big names out of gas,” said Bovell, who more often drives his Suburban SUV, which takes regular and flex-fuel.
Shae Primus, an Atlanta matchmaker, didn’t have the patience of Bovell.
On Saturday, she drove for 30 minutes looking for premium gas for her Mercedes-Benz GLK350.
“My car was on E and I didn’t have a choice,” Primus said. “So I desperately pulled over to a gas station and put unleaded in my tank and crossed my fingers. Mercedes clearly states to only use premium.”
Credit: Shae Primus
Credit: Shae Primus
Tuesday, Primus was still driving on the tank of unleaded, trying to run it out before she searches again for premium.
“I have not had any problems so far,” she said. “But I am praying.”
About the Author
