News

Gas station lines getting out of control

GIANNA VOLPE PHOTO | A gas line spilled out into County Road 48 in Peconic.

Local gas stations are running out of fuel — or just don’t have the power to pump gasoline from the ground — after Hurricane Sandy caused transfer stations father west on Long Island  to stop sending deliveries, station managers and workers said this week.

A line more than a dozen cars deep began to form Thursday afternoon along County Road 48 in Peconic at the BP gas station, which reopened after regaining power this morning.

“We have already used ten gallons in the past few days,” said East Marion resident Kathy Filippedes, who filled up four five gallon containers of gas for her generator. “We had to go all the way to Riverhead yesterday because there was no place open out here. We thought we would need to do that again, but then we saw this station open and thought, ‘Thank God.'”

Southold Town police Sargeant Scott Latham said he got to fill up his tank just before the line began to form behind him. He said though the pumps are moving slowly the people on line are staying patient.

Lines were also spilling into the street at Citgo in Cutchogue and Hess in Mattituck.

But other gas stations in the area were already out of gas, and managers were less optimistic they would be receiving shipments from up Island soon, as several Long Island terminals have been without power since the storm.

Traffic cones blocked the gas pumps at the BP station on Route 58 in normally gas-friendly Riverhead, while a Hess station east of Roanoke Avenue had paper signs plastered to the pumps saying the store and gas pumps were closed.

Senator Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) told Newsday Wednesday that power shortages and a lack of inventory from fuel suppliers has led to the situation.

“There’s no gas coming into the port of Long Island,” he said.

KATHARINE SCHROEDER PHOTO | Citgo in Cutchogue was buzzing Thursday afternoon, as many other area gas stations were closed due to a lack of power or fuel supply.