Kathleen Williamson (l), of Helmetta, and Manuella Sampredo, of Monroe, chat while waiting to fill their gas cans in North Brunswick on Oct. 30. SCOTT FRIEDMAN When Hurricane Sandy finished wreaking havoc on the area last week, it left in its wake more than displaced residents and widespread power outages.
Hard-to-find gasoline and the long lines to get it were a new reality in the superstorm’s aftermath.
Prompted largely by a lack of gas stations with power, motorists and those seeking gas to run their generators realized Oct. 30, just after Sandy had moved out of New Jersey, that finding gas would be a challenge. If residents did find an open gas station, they had to wait in the type of line not seen since the gas crisis of the 1970s.
Lines that stretched for a mile or more and a motor fuel supply shortage prompted Gov. Chris Christie to order Nov. 3 that retail gasoline dealers in 12 counties, including Middlesex and Monmouth, ration gas based on corresponding odd/even dates and the last digit of a license plate. The dispensation system was to remain in effect as long as the limited state of energy emergency is in place in those counties.
Dozens were lined up at the Hess station on Route 9 in Woodbridge Township on the morning of Nov. 3, a few hours before the rationing was effective. Nuno Alves, of the Port Reading section of Woodbridge, was last in a line of about a dozen people on foot waiting to fill up gas cans. The car line, meanwhile, stretched the shoulder of Route 9 North leading to the gas station. Across the way on Route 9 South, gas lines for another Hess station and a Wawa station were of similar lengths.
“Right now it is crazy,” Alves said of the gas situation. “I have filled up either waiting [in the car] or with this gas canister three times since the storm.”
Rafael Tavarez of Woodbridge said he too had logged hours in both gas can lines and car lines, waiting an hour and a half at one point. Soon enough, he learned when and where not to wait, such as during rush hour. He found the 10 to 11 a.m. period was a better time to get in line. Motorists said they found the rationing order to be a positive move on a public safety level.
“This way it should help the lines,” Tavarez said. “Then the people know which day they should go get gas.”
Lorrie Hecker, director of communications at Hess Corp. in Woodbridge, said the vast majority of its stations in the Tri-State Area remained open in the storm’s aftermath.
“Based on our experiences with hurricanes in Florida, we purchased 85 generators in advance of the storm to help us provide gasoline and diesel to people in New York City, Long Island and New Jersey in case of power disruptions,” she said. “As a consequence, we were able to open 177 of our 186 stations in the metropolitan area quickly after the storm to meet the needs of our customers.”
At the Amboy Express station on Amboy Avenue in Edison, a line of cars wound its way down Hoover Avenue, but customers got bad news around 11:30 a.m. on Nov. 3.
“We just lost power 5 to 10 minutes ago,” one of the employees said.
The employees said the station had remained open even during the peak of the storm. They said all they could do now was wait for power.
“I just feel bad for the people waiting in the big line for gas,” an employee said.
While the crisis was expected to ease as more stations regained power and fuel supply channels opened, the state Office of Emergency Management has kept residents informed about open gas stations on its website at http://readynj.posterous.com/listof pharmacies-hotels-restaurants-and-gas, where lists of open pharmacies, hotels and restaurants could also be found.
East Brunswick helps residents power generators
Officials in at least one area town found a way to help their residents power generators. After the storm, East Brunswick began dispensing gasoline to residents each day at its municipal building. The amount was limited to one 5-gallon can per household at $3 a gallon. The township also used its public advisory system to keep residents updated on open gas stations in town.