(WJZY) — The Colonial Pipeline has temporarily shut down some of its gas lines as a precaution after Hurricane Ida made landfall, the company announced Sunday afternoon.
Lines 1 and 2, fuel deliveries from Houston to Greensboro, North Carolina, will be shut down for safety measures. Colonial Pipeline is the largest petroleum products pipeline in the United States and carries half the fuel consumed across the East Coast.
Fuel supply continues to be available throughout the Southeast from numerous terminals located along the supply route. In addition, lines 3 and 4, which carry fuel from the Northeast from Greensboro to Linden, New Jersey, are operating as normal.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with our neighbors and colleagues across the Southern coastline impacted by this extreme weather event,” said Wes Dunbar, vice president of operations for Colonial Pipeline. “As part of our weather preparedness and response plans, we have procedures in place to ensure the safety, protection and integrity of our pipeline and our assets – including proactively shutting down our lines when necessary.”
The pipeline was shut down earlier this year after a cyberattack, causing panic in the Southeast.
Colonial Pipeline says they have an extensive emergency preparedness program in place for Hurricane Ida and will implement its emergency response plan.
“We know that millions of Americans, along with our customers and other businesses, benefit from our system for critical fuel supplies at times like these,” added Dunbar. “We try to be as prepared as possible for these types of weather events through extensive and continuous planning that prioritizes the safety of the public, our employees and contractors, and the reliable operation of our pipeline. I’m proud of the preparations by our team in advance of Ida’s landfall.”