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CenterPoint Energy has been closely monitoring forecasts and preparing for potential impacts from Tropical Storm Ida, which is expected to make landfall on Monday anywhere from the Texas/Louisiana border to the mouth of the Mississippi. CenterPoint Energy urges customers to follow important pre-and post-storm electric and natural gas safety tips.

Natural gas:

• 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. If you smell gas, leave the area immediately and tell others to leave, too.
• If you smell gas, do not turn the lights on or off, 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 safely away from the area, call 1-888-876-5786, and CenterPoint Energy will send a trained service technician immediately.
• 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.

Before conducting debris cleanup or digging on property, or to locate underground natural gas lines and other underground utility lines, call 811 — the nationwide Call Before You Dig number.

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 CenterPoint Energy at 1-888-876-5786.

For more information, natural gas safety tips and other resources, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/WeatherSafety.