Chattanooga Gas offers tips to keep your family safe during hurricane season

Chattanooga – June 1, 2023 – Hurricane season is upon us and now is the time to make sure your family is prepared in the event of any severe weather conditions. Atlanta Gas Light’s number one value is safety, and the company reminds customers to keep safety first as they prepare for the threat of severe weather this hurricane season.

Beginning June 1 and running through November 30, forecasters at the Colorado State University Tropical Weather and Climate Research Center are calling for a “slightly below-average” Atlantic hurricane season, predicting at least 13 tropical storms, six of which will become hurricanes. A tropical storm becomes a hurricane when its sustained winds reach 74 mph.  

But while forecasting is not an exact science, it is important to keep in mind that just one storm could have a significant impact on homes, property and lives.   

That’s why Chattanooga Gas is providing customers with the following recommended natural gas safety guidelines for use before, during and after a weather emergency:  

Meter Safety

• Know the location of your natural gas meter.
• Do not attempt to turn off your gas supply at the meter. Only Chattanooga Gas or emergency personnel should turn the valve on or off.
• Leaving natural gas meters on helps to maintain proper pressure in the gas lines. It also can prevent water from entering the fuel lines should flooding occur.
• Following severe weather, make sure your natural gas meter is visible, and the area surrounding the meter is free of trash and debris. Mechanical equipment used during storm clean-up could damage the meter if it is hidden.
• If your natural gas meter is damaged or an underground gas line is exposed, leave the area immediately and call 911 or the Chattanooga Gas 24-hour emergency response line at 866-643-4170 from a safe location.

Appliance Safety – Before and After the Storm

• Leave your natural gas appliances connected in severe weather. Most modern gas appliances have safety valves that shut off the flow of natural gas automatically if there is a loss of gas pressure or flooding of the appliances.
• If you are not comfortable leaving your appliances connected, contact a certified plumber or HVAC representative to shut off your appliances at the cutoff valves. When it is safe to do so, have them return to turn the valves back on, leak test the line and ensure the appliance is safe to operate.
• If flooding occurs at your property and the gas appliances are underwater, please do not use the appliances until a safety inspection is conducted by a certified plumber or HVAC representative.

Damage Prevention

• Intense winds and saturated ground can cause trees to become uprooted. Contact Tennessee 811 to request that the underground utility lines be marked. This is important because the tree roots could become tangled with utility lines.
• If a natural gas meter is damaged or a natural gas line is exposed, please immediately leave the area and call 911 or the Chattanooga Gas 24-hour emergency response line at 866-643-4170 from a safe location.

Detecting Gas Leaks

• If you smell the distinctive “rotten-egg” odor associated with natural gas, leave the area immediately and move away from the potential leak.
• Look for blowing dirt, discolored vegetation or continued bubbling in standing water.
• Never try to identify the source of a leak or stop the leak on your own.
• Avoid using any sources of ignition, such as cell phones, cigarettes, matches, flashlights, electronic devices, motorized vehicles, light switches or landlines, as natural gas can ignite from a spark and cause a fire or explosion.
• Call the or the Chattanooga Gas 24-hour emergency response line at 866-643-4170 or 911 once you are in a safe location away from potential leak.

Generator Safety

• Generators can be helpful after a storm but dangerous if not used properly. The primary hazards to avoid when using a generator are carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, electric shock or electrocution and fire.
• Never use a generator in an enclosed or partially enclosed space.
• Never try to power the house wiring by plugging the generator into a wall outlet, a practice
• known as “backfeeding.”
• Plug appliances directly into the generator or use a heavy duty, outdoor-rated extension cord that is rated (in watts or amps) at least equal to the sum of the connected appliance loads.
• During a power outage, natural gas generators provide continuous fuel supply from an existing natural gas line. While these units are available in a range of sizes to meet various energy needs, please contact Chattanooga Gas prior to the purchase and installation to determine whether their service line and meter meet load requirements for the generator’s safe and efficient operation.

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