– Some gas stations in New York and New Jersey are still without power, while others have gone dry, prompting panic among residents looking to fuel their cars and backup generators until things return to normal, reports Reuters. At least half of all service stations in NYC can't sell gas, and that figure could rise to 75%, says one expert. Some taxi companies have been forced to pull fleets off the road as a result. In Jersey, tempers are running high at the few stations that are in service. One analyst says even people who don't plan to drive "still panic and go and fill up the tank—it exacerbates the problem," reports Newsday. Police responded to eight separate scuffles at gas stations in the town of Bloomfield alone, reports NJ.com.

Expand this summary.
People line up for gasoline outside the entrance of Holland Tunnel in Jersey City, New Jersey, October 31, 2012. 
  
 NEW YORK | 
  
 NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York taxi and car service companies started pulling vehicles off the road on Thursday as the fuel crunch deepened, with the vast majority of storm-hit service stations in the greater New York area now out of gasoline or without power. 
  
 Outages and fuel shortages have forced many gasoline stations to shut, and now threaten efforts in New York and New Jersey to get back to business after Hurricane Sandy. 
  
 Large numbers of homes and businesses that have lost power are also reliant on gasoline- or diesel-run generators, including many of the Wall Street banks in lower Manhattan. 
  
 "We've had to cancel a lot of cars today because there's not enough gas," said Joue Balulu, a partner at Fone-A-Car in Brooklyn. 
  
 "It's affecting everybody. Our drivers have to go out to try and find gas." 
  
 Much of lower Manhattan remains without power after an explosion at a Consolidated Edison Inc substation on the East River during the storm. Con Edison said on Thursday it could be another two days until electricity is restored. 
  
 Across New York's five boroughs and the northern suburbs of Westchester, Con Edison said 659,400 homes and businesses still had no power. 
  
 "In New York City over 50 percent of service stations are not able to sell gasoline and it could be up to 75 percent," said Ralph Bombardiere, executive director of the New York State Association of Service Stations and Repair Shops. 
  
 "New York City (gasoline delivery) terminals have power problems. For the individual stations, if they have product they don't have power and many, if they have power, don't have any product." 
  
 In Manhattan, police helped to monitor cars at a Hess Corp garage on 10th Avenue and 44th Street to stop people cutting in line. 
  
 Zipcar Inc, a car-sharing company that rents out vehicles at an hourly or daily rate, said members late in returning cars in New York because of traffic or fuel shortages would not face the usual charges. 
  
 "Any members who are willing to wait in line for fuel, we're willing to waive any late fees," said Dan Curtin, Zipcar's vice president of fleet operations in Boston. The firm is offering members in New York and New Jersey discounts until Friday. 
  
 On Wednesday, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he would restrict car traffic coming into Manhattan to vehicles carrying three or more passengers until Friday in an attempt to cut congestion in the city. 
  
 MTA HAS FUEL 
  
 The New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), which on Thursday restarted a limited subway service, said it had supplies to keep its buses running. 
  
 "We are not having any issues with fuel at this point," MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz said. 
  
 "We are still getting deliveries of fuel to our depots," he added. 
  
 The MTA has its own fuel tanks, but it is unclear whether it will be able to receive new supplies as many terminals and refineries in the region suffered storm damage. 
  
 In New Jersey, power company Public Service Enterprise Group Inc (PSEG) said 780,000 homes and businesses were still without electricity, about 35 percent of its customers, down from 1.7 million impacted at the peak. On Wednesday, gasoline retailer associations said more than 80 percent of service stations in New Jersey were shut. 
  
 At 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT) on Thursday on Route 18 in East Brunswick, New Jersey, a Hess facility was the only gas station open for miles. A line of more than 100 cars waited in the highway's southbound left lane, while dozens of residents on foot lined up on the sidewalk, holding plastic gas cans. 
  
 Fuel supplies into New York and New Jersey are being choked off in several ways: two refineries that make up a quarter of the region's gasoline and diesel capacity are idle because of power outages or flooding; the New York Harbor waterway that imports a fifth of the area's fuel is still closed to traffic, and major import terminals are damaged and powerless. 
  
 The main pipeline bringing gasoline and diesel from the U.S. Gulf Coast refining hub, which pumps 15 percent of the East Coast's fuel, also remains shut. 
  
 In Hoboken, a New Jersey town on the Hudson River, gas has become an especially precious commodity since it can be used to power the pumping of sewage water out of basements and homes. 
  
 At one building, a resident went door to door until she found a neighbor willing to siphon gas from his car to fuel the pumps. 
  
 (Additional reporting by Melanie Hicken and Joseph Ax in New Jersey; Editing by Dale Hudson) ||||| 19 Gallery: Long gas lines across N.J. after Hurricane Sandy 
  
 By Amy Brittain and Richard Khavkine/The Star-Ledger 
  
 Tempers ran short across New Jersey on Wednesday as gas lines grew and grew in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. 
  
 The biggest problem, experts said, is that consumers are panicking and rushing to the pumps. In some cases, they see the lines, assume there’s a dire situation and decide they need to top off the tank. 
  
 Then, a type of herd mentality develops, sparking chaos across the Garden State. 
  
 "Unfortunately, that’s very typical behavior after a hurricane," said Gregg Laskoski, a senior petroleum analyst with GasBuddy, a website that tracks gasoline trends. "Even if they know their car is going to stay parked, they still panic and go and fill up the tank. It exacerbates the problem." 
  
 "It adds to severity of the price spikes and prolongs the time it takes for things to return to what might be considered normal," he added. 
  
 Experts say that for the moment it’s premature and inaccurate to say there’s a gas shortage, but good luck trying to tell that to thousands of New Jerseyeans who spent hours snaking their way through mile-long lines. Some were looking to fill up their cars, while others carried canisters to bring back juice for their gas-powered generators. Others came up empty-handed as gas stations across the state closed up shop when the pumps ran dry. 
  
 The Morristown Police Department sent out a "gridlock alert," simply stating: "Avoid Morristown. Gas stations are out of fuel, please make other arrangements." And in Bloomfield, in Essex County, Mayor Ray McCarthy said police responded to eight incidents at gas stations, most of them disputes about cutting in line. 
  
 Other than flaring tempers, there are some real factors, such as stations with no power and fuel tankers running into road barricades, that could affect consumers looking for gas in the coming days. 
  
  
  
 Wednesday afternoon, the Department of Energy reported four of six Northeast refineries affected by Hurricane Sandy had resumed operations at either normal or reduced capacities. Two refineries remained shut, including the large Phillips 66 refinery in Linden, which produces about 238,000 barrels a day. 
  
 "When you lose one of the largest refineries, that could have an impact (on supply)," said Laskoski. "There’s a small number of refineries in the Northeast to start with." 
  
 As for Phillips 66, spokesman Rick Johnson said the Linden refinery regained power Wednesday morning. Now, workers are accessing the damage, seeing what needs to be done to reopen the facility. 
  
 "We’re working very hard to resume operations so we can supply our customers," he said. 
  
 Hess in Point Reading also was closed, but that is less likely to have a serious impact because of its small size, with a daily capacity of 70,000 barrels. 
  
 Beyond refinery closures, there’s the problem of power. 
  
 Along the Route 9 and Route 18 corridors in Old Bridge, into Manalapan and East Brunswick, dozens of filling stations were dark Wednesday, as were nearby traffic lights. 
  
 "Right now, we don’t have a gasoline crisis or an oil crisis or a diesel crisis. We have an electricity crisis," said Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst with Oil Price Information Service, which tracks retail and wholesale gas prices nationwide. "There are few stations open, because you need to have electricity to pump gas." 
  
 Along the Garden State Parkway and the New Jersey Turnpike, the lines, backed onto the highways, a sight harkening back 40 years to the odd-even rationing introduced during the Arab oil embargo. 
  
 In Newark, vehicles idled along two blocks leading to the Delta station on Bloomfield Avenue, partially blocking traffic. 
  
  
  
 "We’ve never had anything like this before. People were waiting when we opened at 6:30 a.m. and they were out here last night until (midnight)," said Gurdev Singh, who was pumping gas. 
  
 The state Attorney General’s Office began investigating "dozens" of allegations of price gouging, or taking advantage of consumer demands by raising prices during a state of emergency. 
  
 "We’ve been hearing about gas stations selling for more than $5 gallon," said Eric Kanefsky. 
  
 Retailers taking advantage of the post-storm demand by boosting prices more than allowed by law would be penalized, he said. 
  
 Meanwhile, some consumers took to Twitter and online forums, looking for information about where they could go for the shortest lines. 
  
 Rich Post, of Howell, listened to radio reports about where to find gasoline for his SUV and gas cans to supply his generator. 
  
 "All I heard was ‘go West,’ " Post, 39, said of his search for service stations. Eventually, he ended up at the Valero pumps on Route 130 in South Brunswick. 
  
 Consumers wondered how long the problem would last and when gas lines would return to normal. 
  
 It’s hard to say, said Laskoski, the GasBuddy analyst. 
  
 His main advice: "Don’t fill up your tank unless it’s absolutely necessary. When the market is tight and the local consumers drain whatever is left of this, it’s going to create worse problems." 
  
 Star-Ledger staff writers Tom Haydon, Eugene Paik, Lisa Rose, Kelly Heyboer, Sue Epstein and Eunice Lee contributed to this report. |||||
– En del bensinstationer i New York och New Jersey är fortfarande utan ström, medan andra har torkat, vilket framkallar panik bland de boende som vill tanka sina bilar och reservgeneratorer tills saker och ting återgår till det normala, rapporterar Reuters. Minst hälften av alla bensinstationer i NYC kan inte sälja gas, och den siffran kan stiga till 75%, säger en expert. Vissa taxibolag har tvingats dra flottor av vägen som följd. I Jersey är temperamenten höga på de få stationer som är i tjänst. En analytiker säger även människor som inte planerar att köra "fortfarande panik och gå och fylla tanken – det förvärrar problemet," rapporterar Newsday. Polisen svarade på åtta separata bråk på bensinstationer enbart i staden Bloomfield, uppger NJ.com. Utöka denna sammanfattning.
“Some gas stations in New York and New Jersey are still powerless, while others have dried up, causing panic among residents who want to refuel their cars and spare generators until things return to normal,” Reuters reports. At least half of all gas stations in NYC can't sell gas, and that figure can rise to 75%, says one expert. Some taxi companies have been forced to pull fleets off the road as a result. In Jersey, temperaments are high on the few stations on duty. An analyst also says people who don't plan to run "still panic and go fill the tank – it exacerbates the problem," reports Newsday. Police responded to eight separate fights at gas stations in Bloomfield city alone, NJ.com states. Extend this summary.
Folk radar upp sig för bensin utanför ingången till Holland Tunnel i Jersey City, New Jersey, 31 oktober 2012. NEW YORK NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York taxi och bil service företag började dra fordon av vägen på torsdag som bränsle kris fördjupades, med de allra flesta storm-hit bensinstationer i större New York området nu av bensin eller utan ström. Driftavbrott och bränslebrist har tvingat många bensinstationer att stänga, och hotar nu ansträngningar i New York och New Jersey för att komma tillbaka till verksamheten efter orkanen Sandy. Ett stort antal hem och företag som har förlorat ström är också beroende av bensin- eller dieseldrivna generatorer, inklusive många av Wall Streets banker på nedre Manhattan. "Vi har varit tvungna att ställa in en hel del bilar idag eftersom det inte finns tillräckligt med bensin", sade Joue Balulu, en partner på Fone-A-Car i Brooklyn. "Det påverkar alla. Våra förare måste gå ut för att försöka hitta gas." Mycket av nedre Manhattan förblir utan ström efter en explosion vid en Consolidated Edison Inc-understation vid East River under stormen. Con Edison sa på torsdag att det kan ta ytterligare två dagar tills elen är återställd. Över New Yorks fem stadsdelar och Westchesters norra förorter sa Con Edison att 659400 hem och företag fortfarande inte hade någon makt. "I New York kan över 50 procent av bensinstationerna inte sälja bensin och det kan vara upp till 75 procent", säger Ralph Bombardiere, verkställande direktör för New York State Association of Service Stations and Repair Shops. "New York City (bensinleverans) terminaler har strömproblem. För de enskilda stationerna, om de har produkter har de inte kraft och många, om de har kraft, har ingen produkt." På Manhattan hjälpte polisen till att övervaka bilar vid ett Hess Corp-garage på 10th Avenue och 44th Street för att stoppa folk som klipper i kö. Zipcar Inc, en bil-sharing företag som hyr ut fordon till en timme eller dag, sade medlemmar sent i återvändande bilar i New York på grund av trafik eller bränslebrist skulle inte möta de vanliga avgifterna. "Alla medlemmar som är villiga att vänta i kö för bränsle, är vi villiga att avstå från eventuella sena avgifter," sade Dan Curtin, Zipcars vicepresident för flottans verksamhet i Boston. Byrån erbjuder medlemmar i New York och New Jersey rabatter fram till fredag. På onsdagen, New York City borgmästare Michael Bloomberg sade att han skulle begränsa biltrafiken kommer in på Manhattan till fordon som transporterar tre eller fler passagerare fram till fredag i ett försök att minska trafikstockningar i staden. MTA HAS FUEL New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), som på torsdagen återstartade en begränsad tunnelbanetjänst, sade att den hade förnödenheter för att hålla sina bussar igång. "Vi har inga problem med bränsle vid denna punkt," MTA talesman Kevin Ortiz sade. "Vi får fortfarande leveranser av bränsle till våra depåer", tillade han. MTA har egna bränsletankar, men det är oklart om den kommer att kunna ta emot nya förnödenheter då många terminaler och raffinaderier i regionen drabbats av stormskador. I New Jersey, Power Company Public Service Enterprise Group Inc (PSEG) sade 780 000 bostäder och företag var fortfarande utan el, cirka 35 procent av sina kunder, ner från 1,7 miljoner påverkade på toppen. På onsdagen sade bensinförsäljarnas föreningar att mer än 80 procent av bensinstationerna i New Jersey var stängda. Klockan 8 på morgonen EDT (1200 GMT) på torsdag på Route 18 i East Brunswick, New Jersey, var en Hess anläggning den enda bensinstation som var öppen på flera kilometer. En linje på mer än 100 bilar väntade i motorvägens södergående vänsterkörfält, medan dussintals invånare till fots radade upp sig på trottoaren, och höll i plastgasburkar. Bränsletillförseln till New York och New Jersey stryps på flera sätt: två raffinaderier som utgör en fjärdedel av regionens bensin- och dieselkapacitet är tomgångslösa på grund av strömavbrott eller översvämningar; vattenvägen New York Harbor som importerar en femtedel av områdets bränsle är fortfarande stängd för trafik, och stora importterminaler är skadade och strömlösa. Huvudledningen som för med sig bensin och diesel från USA:s Gulf Coast-raffineringsnav, som pumpar 15 procent av östkustens bränsle, förblir också stängt. I Hoboken, en stad i New Jersey vid Hudsonfloden, har gas blivit en särskilt värdefull handelsvara, eftersom den kan användas för att driva ut pumpning av avloppsvatten ur källare och hem. I en byggnad gick en invånare dörr till dörr tills hon fann en granne som var villig att dricka gas från hans bil för att tanka pumparna. (Ytterligare rapportering av Melanie Hicken och Joseph Ax i New Jersey; Redigering av Dale Hudson) ^ [a b c] "19 Gallery: Långa gasledningar över N.J. efter orkanen Sandy By Amy Brittain and Richard Khavkine/The Star-Ledger Tempers rann kort över New Jersey på onsdag som gasledningar växte och växte i efterdyningarna av orkanen Sandy. Det största problemet, sade experter, är att konsumenterna får panik och rusar till pumparna. I vissa fall, de ser linjerna, anta att det finns en hemsk situation och besluta att de måste toppa tanken. Sedan utvecklas en typ av flockmentalitet, vilket utlöser kaos över hela Trädgårdsstaten. "Tyvärr, det är mycket typiskt beteende efter en orkan," sade Gregg Laskoski, en senior petroleumanalytiker med GasBuddy, en webbplats som spårar bensin trender. "Även om de vet att deras bil kommer att stanna parkerade, de fortfarande panik och gå och fylla tanken. Det förvärrar problemet." "Det bidrar till svårighetsgraden av priset spikar och förlänger tiden det tar för saker att återgå till vad som kan anses normalt," tillade han. Experter säger att för tillfället är det för tidigt och felaktigt att säga att det finns en gasbrist, men lycka till med att försöka säga det till tusentals New Jerseyeans som tillbringade timmar snaking sin väg genom mil långa linjer. Vissa ville fylla sina bilar, medan andra bar behållare för att hämta juice till sina gasdrivna generatorer. Andra kom upp tomhänta som bensinstationer över delstaten stängde butiken när pumparna tog slut. Morristowns poliskår skickade ut en "gridlock-varning" och sa: "Undvik Morristown. Bensinstationerna har slut på bränsle, gör andra arrangemang." Och i Bloomfield, i Essex County, sa borgmästare Ray McCarthy att polisen reagerade på åtta incidenter på bensinstationer, de flesta av dem dispyter om att skära i kön. Förutom att det finns ett rasande temperament finns det några verkliga faktorer, till exempel stationer utan kraft och tankbilar som kör in i vägbarrikader, som kan påverka konsumenter som letar efter gas under de kommande dagarna. Onsdag eftermiddag rapporterade energidepartementet att fyra av sex nordostraffinaderier som drabbats av orkanen Sandy hade återupptagit verksamheten antingen vid normal eller reducerad kapacitet. Två raffinaderier förblev stängda, bland annat det stora Phillips 66 raffinaderiet i Linden, som producerar cirka 238000 tunnor per dag. "När man förlorar ett av de största raffinaderierna, som kan ha en inverkan (på utbudet)," sade Laskoski. "Det finns ett litet antal raffinaderier i nordost till att börja med." När det gäller Phillips 66 sa talesman Rick Johnson att Linden-raffinaderiet återfick makten onsdag morgon. Nu får arbetstagarna tillgång till skadorna och ser vad som behöver göras för att öppna anläggningen igen. "Vi arbetar mycket hårt för att återuppta verksamheten så att vi kan leverera till våra kunder", sade han. Hess in Point Reading var också stängd, men det är mindre sannolikt att få en allvarlig inverkan på grund av sin ringa storlek, med en daglig kapacitet på 70 000 fat. Bortom raffinaderinedläggningar finns problemet med kraft. Längs Route 9 och Route 18 korridorer i Old Bridge, in i Manalapan och East Brunswick, dussintals bensinstationer var mörka onsdag, liksom närliggande trafikljus. "Just nu har vi ingen bensinkris eller oljekris eller dieselkris. Vi har en elkris, säger Tom Kloza, chefs oljeanalytiker med Oil Price Information Service, som spårar detalj- och grossist gaspriser över hela landet. "Det finns få stationer öppna, eftersom du behöver ha el för att pumpa gas." Längs Garden State Parkway och New Jersey Turnpike, linjerna, backade på motorvägarna, en syn som harkening tillbaka 40 år till udda-jämn ransonering infördes under den arabiska oljeembargot. I Newark tomgångsvagnar längs två kvarter som leder till Deltastationen på Bloomfield Avenue, delvis blockerande trafik. "Vi har aldrig haft något liknande förut. Folk väntade när vi öppnade klockan 06:30 och de var här ute i går kväll tills (midnatt)," sade Gurdev Singh, som pumpade gas. Det statliga justitiedepartementet började utreda "dussintals" anklagelser om priskramning, eller att utnyttja konsumenternas krav genom att höja priserna under undantagstillstånd. "Vi har hört talas om bensinstationer som säljer för mer än $ 5 gallon," sade Eric Kanefsky. Han sade att de som utnyttjar efterfrågan efter stormen genom att höja priserna mer än vad som är tillåtet enligt lag skulle straffas. Samtidigt tog vissa konsumenter till Twitter och online forum, söker information om var de kunde gå för de kortaste linjerna. Rich Post, från Howell, lyssnade på radiorapporter om var han kunde hitta bensin till sina SUV - och gasburkar för att förse sin generator. "Allt jag hörde var 'gå västerut'," Post, 39, sade om sitt sökande efter bensinstationer. Så småningom hamnade han vid Valeropumparna på Route 130 i South Brunswick. Konsumenterna undrade hur länge problemet skulle bestå och när gasledningarna skulle återgå till det normala. Det är svårt att säga, sade Laskoski, GasBuddy analytiker. Hans huvudsakliga råd: "Fyll inte i din tank om det inte är absolut nödvändigt. När marknaden är trång och de lokala konsumenterna dränerar vad som än finns kvar av detta, kommer det att skapa värre problem. Star-Ledgers personalförfattare Tom Haydon, Eugene Paik, Lisa Rose, Kelly Heyboer, Sue Epstein och Eunice Lee bidrog till denna rapport. Â°°
People line up for gasoline outside the entrance of the Holland Tunnel in Jersey City, New Jersey, October 31, 2012. NEW YORK NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York taxi and car service company began pulling vehicles off the road on Thursday as fuel crisis deepened, with the vast majority of storm-hit gas stations in the larger New York area now of gasoline or without power. Operation disruptions and fuel shortages have forced many gas stations to close, and are now threatening efforts in New York and New Jersey to get back to operations after Hurricane Sandy. A large number of homes and businesses that have lost power also depend on gasoline or diesel powered generators, including many of Wall Street's banks in lower Manhattan. "We've had to cancel a lot of cars today because there's not enough gasoline," said Joue Balulu, a partner at Phone-A-Car in Brooklyn. "It affects everyone. Our drivers must go out to try to find gas." Much of lower Manhattan remains without power after an explosion at a Consolidated Edison Inc substation on the East River during the storm. Con Edison said on Thursday that it may take another two days until the electricity is restored. Over New York City's five neighborhoods and Westchester's northern suburbs, Con Edison said 659400 homes and businesses still had no power. "In New York City, over 50 percent of gas stations cannot sell gasoline and it can be up to 75 percent," said Ralph Bombardiere, Managing Director of the New York State Association of Service Stations and Repair Shops. "New York City (petrol delivery) terminals have power problems. For the individual stations, if they have products they do not have power and many, if they have power, have no product." In Manhattan, police helped monitor cars at a Hess Corp garage on 10th Avenue and 44th Street to stop people cutting in line. Zipcar Inc, a car-sharing company that leases vehicles to an hour or day, said members late in returning cars in New York City due to traffic or fuel shortages would not meet the usual fees. "All members who are willing to wait in line for fuel, we are willing to waive any late fees," said Dan Curtin, Zipcar's vice president for Navy operations in Boston. The firm offers members of New York and New Jersey discounts until Friday. On Wednesday, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he would restrict car traffic entering Manhattan to vehicles carrying three or more passengers by Friday in an attempt to reduce traffic congestion in the city. The MTA HAS FUEL New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), which on Thursday restarted a limited metro service, said it had supplies to keep its buses running. "We have no problem with fuel at this point," MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz said. "We still get supplies of fuel to our depots," he added. The MTA has its own fuel tanks, but it is unclear whether it will be able to receive new supplies as many terminals and refineries in the region suffered storm damage. In New Jersey, Power Company Public Service Enterprise Group Inc (PSEG) said 780,000 homes and businesses were still without electricity, about 35 percent of their customers, down from 1.7 million affected at the top. On Wednesday, gasoline sellers associations said that more than 80 percent of New Jersey gas stations were closed. At 8 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT) on Thursday on Route 18 in East Brunswick, New Jersey, a Hess facility was the only gas station open for several kilometers. A line of more than 100 cars waited in the southbound left lane of the highway, while dozens of residents lined up on foot on the pavement, holding plastic gas cans. The fuel supply to New York and New Jersey is strangled in several ways: two refineries that make up a quarter of the region's petrol and diesel capacity are idle due to power outages or flooding; the New York Harbor waterway that imports one fifth of the area's fuel is still closed to traffic, and large import terminals are damaged and powerless. The main pipeline that brings gasoline and diesel from the U.S. Gulf Coast refining hub, which pumps 15 percent of the East Coast fuel, also remains closed. In Hoboken, a city in New Jersey on the Hudson River, gas has become a particularly valuable commodity, as it can be used to drive sewage pumping out of basements and homes. In a building, a resident went door to door until she found a neighbor willing to drink gas from his car to refuel the pumps. (Further reporting by Melanie Hicken and Joseph Ax in New Jersey; Editing of Dale Hudson) <unk> [a b c] "19 Gallery: Long gas pipelines over N.J. after Hurricane Sandy By Amy Brittain and Richard Khavkine/The Star-Ledger Tempers ran short across New Jersey on Wednesday as gas pipelines grew and grew in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. The biggest problem, experts said, is that consumers panic and rush to the pumps. In some cases, they see the lines, assume there is a terrible situation and decide that they must top the tank. Then a type of flock mentality develops, triggering chaos throughout the Garden State. "Unfortunately, it's very typical behavior after a hurricane," said Gregg Laskoski, a senior petroleum analyst with GasBuddy, a website tracking gasoline trends. "Although they know their car will stop parked, they still panic and go and fill the tank. It makes the problem worse." "It contributes to the severity of the price spikes and prolongs the time it takes for things to return to what can be considered normal," he added. Experts say that at the moment it is too early and wrong to say that there is a gas shortage, but good luck trying to tell that to thousands of New Jerseyeans who spent hours snaking their way through miles of lines. Some wanted to fill their cars, while others carried containers to fetch juice for their gas-powered generators. Others came up empty-handed as gas stations across the state closed the store when the pumps ran out. The Morristown Police Department sent out a "gridlock warning" saying, "Avoid Morristown. Petrol stations are out of fuel, making other arrangements." And in Bloomfield, in Essex County, Mayor Ray McCarthy said police reacted to eight incidents at gas stations, most of them arguing about cutting the line. In addition to the fact that there is a furious temperament, there are some real factors, such as stations without power and tankers driving into road barricades, which can affect consumers looking for gas in the coming days. Wednesday afternoon, the Department of Energy reported that four out of six northeast refineries affected by Hurricane Sandy had resumed operations either at normal or reduced capacity. Two refineries remained closed, including the large Phillips 66 refinery in Linden, which produces approximately 238000 barrels per day. "When one loses one of the largest refineries, which may have an impact (on supply)," said Laskoski. "There are a small number of refineries in the northeast to begin with." Regarding Phillips 66, spokesman Rick Johnson said the Linden refinery regained power Wednesday morning. Now the workers have access to the damage and see what needs to be done to reopen the plant. "We are working very hard to resume operations so that we can deliver to our customers," he said. Hess in Point Reading was also closed, but it is less likely to have a serious impact due to its small size, with a daily capacity of 70,000 barrels. Beyond refinery closures, there is the problem of power. Along Route 9 and Route 18 corridors in Old Bridge, into Manalapan and East Brunswick, dozens of gas stations were dark Wednesday, as were nearby traffic lights. "Right now we have no petrol crisis or oil crisis or diesel crisis. We have an electricity crisis," says Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst with Oil Price Information Service, who tracks retail and wholesale gas prices across the country. "There are few stations open, because you need electricity to pump gas." Along the Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike, the lines, backed on the highways, a sight that harkening back 40 years to odd-even rationing was introduced under the Arab oil embargo. In Newark idling cars along two blocks leading to the Delta station on Bloomfield Avenue, partially blocking traffic. "We've never had anything like this before. People waited when we opened at 6:30 a.m. and they were out here last night until (midnight)," said Gurdev Singh, who pumped gas. The State Department of Justice began investigating "dozens" of allegations of price rumbling, or exploiting consumer demands by raising prices under martial law. "We've heard of gas stations selling for more than $5 gallons," said Eric Kanefsky. He said that those who exploit demand after the storm by increasing prices more than is permitted by law would be punished. At the same time, some consumers took to Twitter and online forums, seeking information about where they could go for the shortest lines. Rich Post, from Howell, listened to radio reports of where he could find gasoline for his SUV and gas cans to supply his generator. "All I heard was 'go west'," Post, 39, said of his search for gas stations. Eventually, he ended up at the Valero pumps on Route 130 in South Brunswick. Consumers wondered how long the problem would last and when the gas pipelines would return to normal. It's hard to say," said Laskoski, GasBuddy analyst. His main advice: "Don't fill in your tank unless it's absolutely necessary. When the market is tight and local consumers drain whatever is left of it, it will create worse problems. Star-Ledger staff writers Tom Haydon, Eugene Paik, Lisa Rose, Kelly Heyboer, Sue Epstein and Eunice Lee contributed to this report. <unk>