Cold Showers No More; Crews Restoring Gas Lines to Mena Customers
By: Josh Berry
Updated: September 14, 2012
It's cold showers and microwavable dinners all around for people in Mena. A disruption in a gas line forced their provider to shut off service and their pilot lights.
It all started Wednesday. CenterPoint Energy claims they aren't sure exactly what caused the disruption but it's left customers without some basic needs.
"No hot water and no gas for the cooking and stove," explained Mena homeowner, Connie Smith.
Having been left without natural gas for a couple of days, Smith shrieked with joy at the sight of CenterPoint crews on her doorstep.
"I had just taken a cold shower and I was on the phone with my sister and she said I better let you go so that you can get dressed in case they come to the door... Surprise!" Smith laughed.
Another homeowner, Louis Brooks, almost blamed his wife for taking all the hot water in the shower before he realized the gas was shut off.
"I didn't... I kept my mouth shut," Brooks said. "I was afraid I'd get knots on my head of I said anything."
After a disruption in a main gas line in the city of Mena, crews have spent the last two days shutting off gas to homes and businesses for safety reasons.
Friday (9/14) however, crews switched objectives to restoring service. Firing up pilot lights, turning on stoves, all a welcome sight for everyone.
"I don't know how they did it such a short amount of time to do it in," Brooks said.
With 1700 customers, the company actually didn't have enough crews to get the job done in a timely fashion. They had to bring in extras from around Arkansas and even Louisiana and East Texas.
Regardless of where they're coming from though, folks in Mena are happy to see the crews.
CenterPoint Area Manager, Phillip Giles, said, "To just walk up to a customers house and they greet you with a huge smile... That feeling is gratifying."
"They've just been great here," Brooks explained.
Smith added, "No complaints... Everything's good."
CenterPoint is in the process of investigating what caused the disruption and forced the shut-off, but said their customers are top priority and should have everyone restored by Saturday afternoon.
It all started Wednesday. CenterPoint Energy claims they aren't sure exactly what caused the disruption but it's left customers without some basic needs.
"No hot water and no gas for the cooking and stove," explained Mena homeowner, Connie Smith.
Having been left without natural gas for a couple of days, Smith shrieked with joy at the sight of CenterPoint crews on her doorstep.
"I had just taken a cold shower and I was on the phone with my sister and she said I better let you go so that you can get dressed in case they come to the door... Surprise!" Smith laughed.
Another homeowner, Louis Brooks, almost blamed his wife for taking all the hot water in the shower before he realized the gas was shut off.
"I didn't... I kept my mouth shut," Brooks said. "I was afraid I'd get knots on my head of I said anything."
After a disruption in a main gas line in the city of Mena, crews have spent the last two days shutting off gas to homes and businesses for safety reasons.
Friday (9/14) however, crews switched objectives to restoring service. Firing up pilot lights, turning on stoves, all a welcome sight for everyone.
"I don't know how they did it such a short amount of time to do it in," Brooks said.
With 1700 customers, the company actually didn't have enough crews to get the job done in a timely fashion. They had to bring in extras from around Arkansas and even Louisiana and East Texas.
Regardless of where they're coming from though, folks in Mena are happy to see the crews.
CenterPoint Area Manager, Phillip Giles, said, "To just walk up to a customers house and they greet you with a huge smile... That feeling is gratifying."
"They've just been great here," Brooks explained.
Smith added, "No complaints... Everything's good."
CenterPoint is in the process of investigating what caused the disruption and forced the shut-off, but said their customers are top priority and should have everyone restored by Saturday afternoon.
