Construction crews in Southeast Houston struck a natural gas line, leading to emergency repairs and a swift response from local authorities. The incident was first reported by ABC13 and occurred near 5902 Southridge, close to Crest. The Houston Fire Department (HFD) confirmed that the gas leak emerged when third-party construction crews, engaged in work, inadvertently hit the line.
According to observations, SkyEye captured footage of the site encircled by yellow caution tape, with brown water bubbling from the ground – a sign of a possible water line break as well. CenterPoint Energy and Houston Public Works were dispatched to the scene, where the energy provider gave a statement, "CenterPoint Energy is aware of a natural gas line that was struck earlier today near 5900 Southridge St. by a third-party unrelated to the company. We have secured the area and are working to repair the affected natural gas pipeline safely and as quickly as possible. Our crews are collaborating with local emergency responders." Houston Fire Department assured that there was no need for shelter-in-place or evacuations, and repairs were finalized by approximately 10 p.m. on Tuesday, as stated by ABC13.
Meanwhile, a separate report by KHOU detailed a similar occurrence where a Houston Public Works crew mistakenly struck a gas line on Southridge Street, near the South Loop. This happened on the same Tuesday afternoon, with officials being alerted to the utility mishap around 3:30 p.m. The gas line damage affected an adjacent water line, creating a visual spectacle of water erupting from the ground.
No evacuations or shelter-in-place orders have been issued. The City of Houston, Houston Fire Department, and CenterPoint Energy are handling the situation. Crews are closely monitoring the area and working to fix any problems. If you smell natural gas, leave the area on foot right away and call 911 and CenterPoint at 713-659-2111 or 800-752-8036 to report it, as per ABC13.
