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NATURAL GAS SAFETY TIPS
Stay Safe. Stay Connected. Stay Informed.
When you return to your home after a flood there are a few important safety tips to be aware of to keep you and your family safe.
• Do not turn off your natural gas service at the meter; 
doing so could allow water to enter the natural gas lines.
• Be alert for the smell of natural gas - It smells like rotten 
eggs.  If you do smell natural gas, leave the area 
immediately on foot and tell others to leave, too.
• Do NOT turn on your lights, smoke, strike a match, use a 
cell phone or operate anything that might cause a spark, 
including a flashlight or a generator.
• Do not attempt to turn natural gas valves on or off. 
Once you are safely away from the area, call 911 and 
[PHONE]. Once it is safe, CenterPoint Energy will 
send a trained service technician.
• If your home was flooded, call a licensed plumber or gas 
appliance technician to inspect your appliances and gas 
piping to make sure they are in good operating condition 
before calling CenterPoint Energy to reconnect service. 
This includes outdoor gas appliances including pool 
heaters, gas grills and gas lights.
• Call 811 before any digging is started – it’s the law. 
Striking buried utility lines can cause serious injury or 
death. Alert participating utility companies, such as 
electric, gas, cable and phone about planned digging 
so they can mark the appropriate location of their 
underground lines. Please be prepared for a longer than 
usual wait time during the next few weeks, and do not dig 
until the lines have been marked.
• Be aware of where your natural gas meter is located. 
As debris is put out for heavy trash pickup, make sure it is 
placed away from the meter. In many areas the meter may 
be located near the curb. If debris is near a gas meter, 
the mechanized equipment used by trash collectors could 
pull up the meter, damaging it and causing a potentially 
hazardous situation. If this happens, leave the area 
immediately and call 911 and CenterPoint Energy  
at [PHONE].
• Visit CenterPointEnergy.com/StormCenter for natural 
gas safety tips and other resources.
©2017 CenterPoint Energy   175825