For days, long lines trailed for miles outside of gas stations in the New York City Tri-State area, in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. In an attempt to quickly turn the fuel shortage around, federal authorities instructed the Defense Department to send 24 million gallons of fuel to the region late Friday.
The authorization came after restrictions on deliveries by foreign-flagged ships were lifted. Fuel crews are now working to contain oil in the Bayway Refinery in Linden, N.J.
The Port of New York reopened to tankers on Thursday, and the Northeast fuel pipeline was restored to full capacity on Friday. The major lingering problem remains the lack of power at hundreds of gas stations needed to power the pumps.
According to the New York Times, “because electricity will not be restored in parts of central New Jersey for seven to 10 days, gasoline shortages may remain severe in some areas. As of Friday, according to AAA, only 40 to 50 percent of the gas stations in New York City and New Jersey were operating, and even fewer were operating on Long Island. Most of the stations were out of service because of power failures.”
The Obama administration accelerated its response to the fuel shortage on Friday. From predetermined staging areas, the fuel will be distributed throughout the area in coordination with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to restock stations. Combined, the gasoline and diesel deliveries are enough for 1.6 million vehicles with 15-gallon tanks.
[UPDATE: New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo announced in a press conference, 28 million gallons of fuel will be delivered over the next 2 days. Mobile fueling stations were set up in NYC/Long Island. Eight million gallons have been delivered so far, and there is a 10 gallon limit for customers. The government will also provide generators for many fueling stations without power.]
