COLUMBUS, OH (MARION COUNTY NOW)—As Ohio’s Severe Weather Awareness Week (March 17-23) approaches, Columbia Gas of Ohio is reminding customers of the necessary steps to prepare for potential severe weather. The company’s President and Chief Operating Officer, Vince Parisi, emphasizes that “with spring right around the corner, the time to prepare for storms is now.”
Parisi further adds, “Severe Weather Awareness Week is a great time for our customers to learn how to keep themselves and their families safe while enjoying the many benefits of natural gas.”
Here are some key safety tips for severe weather:
- Emergency Plan: Have an emergency plan and practice it with your family.
- Label Valves and Switches: Label gas valves, water valves, and electricity main switches. Consult a qualified professional to teach responsible family members how and when to turn them off.
- Store Flammable Liquids Safely: Store any flammable liquids, such as gasoline, paint, and cleaning products away from any natural gas appliance with a pilot light.
- Appliance Safety: If your appliances have been impacted by severe weather, do not attempt to place natural gas appliances back in service yourself. A qualified professional should check, clean, repair, and test all gas appliances and pipes.
- Gas Leak Awareness: If you smell the sulfur-like “rotten egg” odor of natural gas or think there may be a gas leak, stop what you are doing, leave the area immediately, and then call 911 and the Columbia Gas emergency line at 1-800-344-4077.
In case of flooding:
- Turn Off Electrical Power: In the event of a flood, if safe to do so, turn off electrical power to each appliance and leave it off.
- Meter Safety: If the natural gas is shut off at the meter, call Columbia Gas of Ohio to turn it back on for you. If water levels are high enough to cover the gas meter, call us to check your meter and regulator before using your gas appliances. Floodwaters may have shifted your home or caused other stresses, possibly resulting in a natural gas leak.