Winter Storm Doesn't Put Deep Freeze on Natural Gas Service January 27, 2004
ATLANTA - (Jan. 27, 2004) - The surprise winter storm that left an estimated 83,000 Augusta residents without power has not affected delivery of much-needed natural gas to Atlanta Gas Light Company (AGLC) customers in the central Savannah River area.
"Despite the power outages, we have normal pressure and delivery," said Robert Chaplin, AGLC's region manager. "Homeowners may not be able to use their natural gas furnaces because the outage has affected their blowers, but they should still be able to use their gas space heaters, stoves and fireplace logs. If they have gas-powered water heaters, they will continue to have hot water."
A free brochure from AGLC offers the following advice for dealing with ice storms and loss of electricity. The brochure is available at local community action agencies and public housing authority offices as well as online at www.AtlantaGasLight.com.
- Use non-electric, unvented space heaters in well-ventilated areas only.
- Use a camp stove, fireplace or can of sterno for cooking. Don't use charcoal or any other fuels in unventilated areas.
- If you use an electric generator, plug electric appliances directly into it. Do not plug the generator into your home's electrical wiring.
- Disconnect or turn off appliances that were on when the power went out. Leave a light on so you know when service is restored.
- Avoid opening your refrigerator or freezer. Food will stay frozen in a fully loaded freezer for 36 to 48 hours if the doors remain closed. If the freezer is half full, the food will generally keep 24 hours.
Winter is not over yet, so before the next storm:
- Stock up on supplies of nonperishable foods, heating fuel and medications.
- Make sure you have a flashlight, battery-powered radio and fresh batteries handy