Post-Sandy pain at the pump for NJ, NY drivers

(CBS News) East coast residents continue to recover from superstorm Sandy on Thursday and many are facing a third straight day without power. They are now also struggling to find fuel to power cars and generators as fuel shortages spread and gas station lines reach unmanageable levels throughout New York City and New Jersey.

In Secaucus, New Jersey -- just a few miles outside of Manhattan -- drivers are waiting up to three hours to get gas. At the Alexander Hamilton service area off the New Jersey turnpike, cars lined up for over a mile and some drivers drove from devastated regions in southern New Jersey -- where there is no fuel -- with the hope of filling their gas tank, only to find out there was no gas left.

More than half of all gas stations in the New York-New Jersey region are currently closed, due to lack of power or inventory. Four of the region's six oil refineries were back to full production or increasing production on Wednesday.

The two refineries that are still closed are located in New Jersey and account for nearly a quarter of the area's fuel capacity. They are expected to begin operating, and helping to alleviate the gas shortages, within days.