For Release: 02/22/2018
Customers urged to use caution around floodwaters following heavy rains
Michigan Gas Utilities (MGU) is strongly urging customers to review and use several important safety precautions should their homes experience flooding due to heavy rainfall in the area this week.
Floodwaters can damage a home's natural gas and electric appliances, and could potentially cause a natural gas leak to occur. Additionally, water that accumulates around electric appliances could become energized, creating a hazardous situation in the basement of a home.
MGU reminds customers to take the following precautions before cleaning up and removing floodwater or using natural gas and electric appliances:
- Have your natural gas service disconnected by MGU and your electric service disconnected by your electric utility before you enter a flooded area of your home. Always assume floodwaters are energized prior to your service being disconnected.
- Use a gasoline-powered water pump that has been placed outdoors to remove floodwater from your home.
- Hire a qualified contractor to inspect natural gas appliances such as furnaces or water heaters to ensure they are safe to use. MGU will restore service to your home once the appliances have been determined to be safe to use.
- If you smell natural gas during the clean-up process, leave the home immediately without turning any items on or off. Call MGU from a nearby area to report the situation.
As a safety precaution, MGU may temporarily disconnect service to customers whose above-ground natural gas facilities have been covered by floodwaters. If this is necessary, MGU will work to inform affected customers about the process and when service is being restored.
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