Gas shortages, panic-buying cause fuel concerns ahead of Memorial Day travel

ROCKVILLE, Md. - Memorial Day is still a few weeks away but the ongoing gas crisis is making some people anxious about whether it will impact their travel plans.

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Gas prices in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia rose Thursday as panic continued to create fuel shortages at gas stations in parts of the region in reaction to a cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline last week by Russian ransomware group DarkSide.

AAA Mid-Atlantic reported a national average of $3.03 Friday. AAA reported average prices in D.C at $3.15, in Maryland at $3.04 and in Virginia at $2.93.

According to a breakdown online by GasBuddy.com, 86 percent of gas stations in D.C., 53 percent of gas stations in Virginia and 42 percent of gas stations in Maryland are currently experiencing fuel outages.

FOX 5's Bob Barnard stopped at gas stations in the Rockville area Friday morning and said it was hit-or-miss as to whether stations had fuel or not. He said some stations were out – while just across the street – cars were lined up at the pump.

Several weeks ago Barnard reported that a nationwide shortage of truck drivers could add to the increase in the price of gas across the U.S. as we move closer to summer.

The trucking industry attributes some of the shortage to the amount of time it takes to obtain a commercial driver's license, according to FOX Business. This ongoing license issue was made worse by the coronavirus pandemic as it prolonged the delays, with some licenses taking up to six months to acquire.