'Free gas' offer in NY causes rush; public then told to wait

Lines are long and open gas stations are few and far between in New York and New Jersey, as drivers wait to fill up their tanks. NBC's Katy Tur reports. By Miguel Llanos, NBC News New Jersey began rationing gasoline on Saturday, while New York had to back off its promise of free gasoline, courtesy of the Department of Defense, and told the public to stay away until first responders could fuel up. "Fuel is on the way," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said at a press conference Saturday. Five mobile fuel stations operated by the military brought gasoline to New York City and Long Island, albeit with a 10 gallon limit. "The good news," Cuomo said of the promised 12 million gallons, "is it's going to be free." At least 1,000 drivers queued up at one site -- the Freeport Armory in Long Island -- only to be told the gasoline would not arrive for at least eight hours more, one driver said. "There's just so many people getting very frustrated. People don't know what to do,'' said Lauren Popkoff, a teacher who had been in line for four hours. The mobile station that opened in Queens was also swamped, NBCNewYork.com reported, with a line of cars stretching 20 blocks. But the state Division of Military and Naval Affairs later issued an advisory asking the public to stay away from the mobile stations until more fuel is released. Cuomo added that the reopening of New York Harbor has provided 8 million gallons of fuel and another 28 million will be delivered over the next two days. Tempers flared as people camped out all night, waiting for their turn at the pump in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. NBC's Tom Costello reports. Less than half of the stations in New York City, Long Island and New Jersey were operating on Friday due to power outages or lack of fuel. Lines of cars and people on foot carrying bright red cans have been waiting for hours for precious fuel. Others have given up after finding only closed stations or dry pumps marked with yellow tape or "No Gas" signs.  In New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie on Friday ordered gas rationing in 12 counties to begin on Saturday under an "odd-even" system in which motorists with license plates ending in odd numbers would be able to buy gas on odd-numbered days. Christie said Saturday that he hoped the restrictions would only last "a few days." Reuters contributed to this report. / Superstorm Sandy made landfall Monday evening on a destructive and deadly path across the Northeast. More content from NBCNews.com: Manhattan electricity nearly restored, other areas still dark Sandy death toll in US rises to 109 Near-freezing cold, potential nor'easter add to misery NYC Marathon canceled New York Harbor reopens to offer fuel supply How to avoid post-storm insurance and repair scams Your Sandy photos: Show us the heroes in your life Sandy's aftermath: How you can help Full NBC News coverage of Sandy aftermath Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook