Charleston gas outage update | Service restored to 350 customers; resources available for those impacted

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - Gas service has been restored to 350 customers on the West Side of Charleston after a high pressure water main break infiltrated the gas distribution system on November 10, 2023.

According to Mountaineer Gas, an additional 50 customers are awaiting inspection and reconnection.

WSAZ Investigates | Digging deeper into gas outage cause

As the gas company continues to purge water out of 46 miles of natural gas service lines, the company anticipates complete restoration will take roughly six days.

On Wednesday, Gov. Jim Justice declared a State of Emergency and directed the state’s Public Service Commission to initiate an investigation into a natural gas outage affecting Kanawha County, saying the incident would not get swept under the rug and disappear without answers.

RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR THOSE AFFECTED BY AS OUTAGE IN KANAWHA COUNTY

Gas service has been restored to Mary C. Snow Elementary and the Schoenbaum Family Enrichment Center, officials announced on Friday.

During a press conference held by Gov. Jim Justice on Thursday, Superintendent of Kanawha County Schools, Tom Williams, announced that classes will be held at Mary C. Snow on Friday, Nov. 17.

Williams also announced that preschool students will also be asked to attend school, even though they normally do not on Fridays.

Three-day meal boxes will also be passed out to students between 4:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. tomorrow, Nov. 17.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be provided, Williams says.

On Tuesday, a seven-day meal box will be handed out to families of Mary C. Snow students from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Mountaineer Gas Company has 31 crews on the ground.

Officials say that translates into nearly 200 boots on the ground, including additional safety personnel and contractors to assist with restoration efforts.

The gas company has contracted with 5 local plumbers to restore service to houses.

Gas officials say customers need to be aware that someone must be available for Mountaineer Gas to restore natural gas service.

If the customer is unavailable, a door hanger will be left for them with contact information and instructions on how to reach officials to restore the customer’s service.

Mountaineer Gas is reminding customers of the following:

Customers should not attempt to restore gas services on their own.
Customers should not attempt to use appliances until an MGC employee or contractor has inspected them.
Customers should not buy or order any appliances or parts. Wait until MGC or the plumbing companies working with MGC have evaluated any damages.
Customers having appliances or parts damaged due to the outage will have these repaired or replaced at no cost.
Customers will see credits on their future bills. Some billing cycles have already been processed, so these credits will not be reflected on current bills.
If customers smell natural gas, move to a safe space and call 1-800-834-2070 and 911.

RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR THOSE AFFECTED BY AS OUTAGE IN KANAWHA COUNTY

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - As of Thursday morning, 260 customers have had service restored along Charleston’s west side following a major natural gas outage.

Mountaineer Gas Senior Vice President Moses Skaff told WSAZ a water main break forced itself into the gas line, flooding the system, leading to the outage.

WSAZ Investigates | Digging deeper into gas outage cause

Officials say in addition to those 260 customers with restored service, there are nearly 60 customers the gas company has instructed a plumber to connect their appliances.

“I don’t know how to say this anymore bluntly, then just this - we’ve got to tell the truth,” said Gov. Jim Justice on Thursday. “That’s all there is to it. We had a water main break that blew a part in every way and when it blew a part, it basically blew a hole in the gas line. When it blew a hole in the gas line, we had water in the gas line and gas all over the place for 46 miles.”

“Mountaineer Gas has really stepped up,” said Gov. Justice. “They have done an amazing job. They continue to do an amazing job. They have stepped up and said that they are going to bear the expenses, and this is not their fault. Not as I can see it. And that is why I have asked the PSC to launch an investigation.”

Gas service has been restored to Mary C. Snow Elementary and the Schoenbaum Family Enrichment Center, officials announced on Friday.

During a press conference held by Gov. Jim Justice on Thursday, Superintendent of Kanawha County Schools, Tom Williams, announced that classes will be held at Mary C. Snow on Friday, Nov. 17.

Williams also announced that preschool students will also be asked to attend school, even though they normally do not on Fridays.

Three-day meal boxes will also be passed out to students between 4:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. tomorrow, Nov. 17.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be provided, Williams says.

On Tuesday, a seven-day meal box will be handed out to families of Mary C. Snow students from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Mountaineer Gas Company has 31 crews on the ground.

Officials say that translates into nearly 200 boots on the ground, including additional safety personnel and contractors to assist with restoration efforts.

The gas company has contracted with 5 local plumbers to restore service to houses.

“Thank you to the American Red Cross and the Charleston Fire Department for their work in the West Side Community yesterday. Together, they served 72 people, installed 62 alarms, made 31 homes safer, and provided helpful safety reminders to our community members. We are truly grateful for everyone’s work in our West Side community. This morning MGC shared with us they are working to get service restored to an additional 250 customers today – barring no unforeseen challenges,” said Charleston Council Member Larry Moore. “The gas company noted this is not a normal restoration for gas service due to water penetrating house lines, which means what may work to restore service to my house may not work for yours. Regardless of the challenges, MGC has committed to working with each customer to ensure service is restored safely.”

RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR THOSE AFFECTED BY AS OUTAGE IN KANAWHA COUNTY

“The United Way and 211 teams have fielded just over 600 calls, distributed approximately 400 heaters and safety information for proper use, connected folks needing smoke detectors to American Red Cross and the Charleston Fire Department, and have delivered meals and supplies to folks who are unable to get out,” said Margaret O’Neal, United Way of Central West Virginia.

The United Way will continue to field requests for assistance and provide help in our West Side community.

If you or someone needs assistance, call 304.340.3500 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

To report water outages, West Virginia American Water customers can call 1-800-685-8660. This will allow them to get a service order into the system ASAP.

Trash service will continue as normal for West Side residents.

Keep checking the WSAZ app for the latest information.