An official investigating New York’s response to Superstorm Sandy has blamed the gas shortage that crippled the region partly on poor communication among state, local and federal authorities.

The Oct. 29 storm knocked out power to thousands of gas stations and cut supply lines from ports. Drivers spent hours in lines before a rationing system eased the problem.

Irwin Redlener is co-chairman of a New York state commission that is investigating the state’s disaster response. He tells The Wall Street Journal (http://on.wsj.com/149CMLo ) that there were problems with “leadership coordination.”

The Associated Press reported in December that preparedness plans and warnings were ignored for years.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has praised many post-storm efforts, including the quick recovery of New York City’s transit system and rapid distribution of emergency supplies.

(AP)