Among other tremendous problems the city of New York faces as a result of hurricane Sandy, exacerbated by Athena, shortage of gas is high on the list. As a result of the great shortages, which have resulted in excruciating long lines at gas pumps and even some outbursts of violence, NY Mayor Michael Bloomberg imposed a gas rationing on Friday.
Nassau and Suffolk County on Long Island have also implemented the rationing on Friday. According to the New York Times, this is the first time since 1970 that the region faces this rationing. The state of New Jersey was the first to implement this measure. They did so on Saturday of last week.
In a news conference on Thursday, Mayor Bloomberg said, "This is not a step that we take lightly...But given the shortages we will face over the next few weeks, and the growing frustrations of New Yorkers, we believe it is the right step," as reported by The New York Times.
According to gasbuddy.com, 70 percent of the gas stations on Long Island are still empty. The problem is not the scarcities of gas per say, but the damage caused by the storm to the pipelines at various gas stations has resulted in the problem.
According to a report by the Associated Press, "millions of gallons of gasoline are sitting at the ready in storage tanks, pipelines and tankers that can't unload their cargoes."
Currently, 761,000 residents are without power post the major hurricane.
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