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Community Corner

Hurricane Fears Send Drivers to the Pumps in Droves

Drivers brave long lines to fill up before the storm.

Expecting widespread and perhaps long lasting power outages, the pumps at the gas stations in East Hampton are constantly flowing with a queue of cars at extend into the streets.

"This is what you call mass fear," said Margaret Wickers of East Hampton, said at Hess. "...but it probably makes sense to do all this."

An attendant at just outside the village said that's the lines for gas have been "crazy."

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The man, who only identified himself as Sadiq, said, "Yesterday was terrible" with regards to how busy he was.

Although he estimates that they're doing three times the normal volume, he said he's not worried about running out of gas; they just got a delivery last night.

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Regular was $3.91; premium was $4.29.

The assistant manager at the Hess Station in Wainscott, who only identified herself as Yulia, sai she hopes that her station doesn't run out. "We've been trying not to," she said.

Hess got two deliveries of gas Thursday and they're expecting at least two more on Friday.

Although Thursday was very busy, she said, "I think today is going to even busier."

Mona Forbell of East Hampton, who was filling up at Hess, said, "God only knows with all the power going down, when we're going to be able to get gas again."

Forbell said she tried to find right balance between prudence and over-reaction, asking, "Are you gonna go out and buy all these things that you're not going to need or not do it, and not have them, and then where do you end up?"

James Kearney, who lives in Manhattan with his wife, is visiting his in-laws here in East Hampton and said he came to the station and waited in line to fill up at their behest, although he himself is not convinced that the hurricane is the cataclysmic event that the lines at the station suggest.

Asked if he is otherwise prepared for the hurricane, he said that "prepared" was a relative term. Explaining, "Did we board up the windows? No. Do we have milk? Yes."

At the American gas station in the village, where prices were $3.87 for regular and $4.25 for premium, Jackie Minetree of Wainscott said that she was "gassing the car for the potential loss of power."

"This is my second trip here this morning," she said behind the wheel of her alternate car.

"We're doing all this for nothing, I hope," said, Denise Schoen of Springs said. "I take it very seriously. Don't mess around with mother nature. I hope all people take it seriously," she said.

She said her dire outlook was made light of by her family in Florida, who are used to dealing with the worst of the elements, "My nieces are laughing at me," she said.

Back at Empire Gas Station, one East Hampton man, who only identified himself as Victor, said he was not so concerned. "I'm not scared because I'm from Dominican Republic... we know about that," he said.

"I have to get [gas] either way. If I had a little bit, I wouldn't be in this line," he said.

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