Just in time for Severe Weather Awareness Week in Ohio, which runs Sunday, March 17 – Saturday, March 23, Columbia Gas of Ohio is reminding customers of the steps they can take to prepare for potential severe weather.
“With spring right around the corner, the time to prepare for storms is now,” said Columbia Gas of Ohio President and Chief Operating Officer Vince Parisi. “Severe Weather Awareness
Week is a great time for our customers to learn about how they can keep themselves and their families safe while enjoying the many benefits that natural gas offers.”
Here’s what you need to know for severe weather:
- Have an emergency plan and practice it with your family.
- 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 any flammable liquids, such as gasoline, paint and cleaning products away from
any natural gas appliance with a pilot light. - 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. - 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.
Flooding safety tips:
- In the event of a flood, if safe to do so, turn off electrical power to each appliance and
leave it off. - If the natural gas is shut off at the meter, call Columbia Gas of Ohio to turn it back on foryou.
- If water levels were 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.
For more severe weather and flooding safety tips, visit ColumbiaGasOhio.com/safety.
About Columbia Gas of Ohio
Columbia Gas of Ohio delivers clean, dependable and efficient natural gas to approximately 1.5 million customers across the state. With headquarters in Columbus, it is the largest natural gas utility in Ohio. Columbia Gas of Ohio is one of six regulated utility companies of NiSource (NYSE: NI), one of the largest fully-regulated utility companies in the United States. NiSource employees are focused on our mission to deliver safe, reliable energy that drives value to our customers, and guided by our vision to be an innovative and trusted energy partner. More information about Columbia Gas of Ohio and NiSource, including its goal of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions from its operations by 2040, is available at www.ColumbiaGasOhio.com and www.NiSource.com.
