USA: Northeast Running Low on Fuel

NACS

2 November, 2011

MANCHESTER, Conn. – The unexpected snowfall over the weekend triggered long lines at area gasoline stations in the Northeast, the Hartford Courant reports. In some localities, police were stationed at gasoline stations to ease tensions brought on by a shortage of fuel.

Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy urged residents to head toward the I-95 corridor to fill up. “You could wait in line for a long period of time or you could drive for a shorter period of time,” he said.

In Western Massachusetts, gasoline stations ran out of gasoline and power. The Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environment indicated that the state would provide generators to assist more retailers to be able to sell gasoline, if necessary.

A BP station in Springfield, Mass., has long lines right after its 6 am shipment of gasoline arrived. By 11 am, the tanks were dry. The scenario repeated again at 4 pm when a second shipment arrived. “It was crazy,” said Arfan, a clerk at the station. “They were coming from Connecticut just to get gas.”