Gas Supplies Affected By Ice Storm

With no power, gas stations without generators to run their pumps are unable to open their doors.

It's a particularly difficult situation in Alton and the surrounding area, where numerous stations are closed.

With temperatures due to fall into single digits tonight, residents counting on using generators to heat their homes are driving long distances and waiting in lines to fill their gas cans.

Others are taking more innovative approaches.

Dale Gardner owns Mad Dog Towing in Alton.

"I got my generator and got it to my house, where I was going to hook it up, and realized I didn't have any gas for it, so I went looking for gas, and I couldn't find gas so I had to come back to my ramp truck, take all of my gas out of it to use it in my generator."

Gardner said he sat in a mile-long line waiting for gas in Rochester today.

Stations that do have power have stocked up on extra gas. Christine Fiella owns the Barnstead Country Store.

"We have been open yesterday with two pumps running on generators, but we do have all the pumps running today and I just called the emergency load that we need in."

For now, though, people in areas without power may be wise to conserve.

For NHPR News, I'm Elaine Grant.