It’s a new reality in New Jersey, New York City and Long Island: waiting in long lines for hours on end just to get a little gas.  Fortunately, the gas supply problems in the areas devastated by Sandy are slowly improving, but it’s still a huge headache for those forced to wait it out in line or remain stranded at home.  Long Island resident Melissa Bernstein spoke to HLN’s Vinnie Politan about why she waited in line more than 11 hours on Sunday.  She stuck it out in a line that stretched about three miles long and by hour 8 of that wait, she was told her gas station wouldn’t get any fuel delivery that day.  But she tells HLN how she got lucky and now has a full tank!

If you’d rather not wait hours in line, there’s hope the problems will diminish over the next few days as power is restored across the region.

Here’s a look at the estimates from AAA:

• New York City: 60-65 percent are open Tuesday (compared to 40-45 percent open on Friday)
• New Jersey: 55-60 percent are open Tuesday (compared to 45-50 percent open on Friday)
• Long Island: 50-55 percent are open Tuesday (compared to 35-40 percent open on Friday)

AAA recommends drivers stay off the roads and only buy gas when absolutely necessary, until more stations open.

Keep up with all the latest on Superstorm Sandy, the recovery and how you can help here.