TYLER, Texas — Some East Texas residents woke up Thursday morning to fallen tree limbs, no electricity and damages to their property.
Residents in the Greenbriar neighborhood in Tyler were faced with an even bigger problem.
“The biggest thing was we heard this, sounded like gushing water coming out of a pipe,” homeowner Eric Helgesen said. “Came over there and it was the natural gas line. It had been uprooted by one of the trees that fell over. And the smell of gas was bad every where, so we had to wait for the fire department to come.”
Crews arrived to shut off the gas line. However, residents say they were told it was going to be awhile before the gas comes back on.
“The neighbor on this side, and that neighbor and that neighbor all smelled gas, as did we,” Eric's wife, Betsy, said. “I also woke up with a giant headache.”
The problem now is the trees that disrupted the gas line must be removed before things can get fixed.
“So we have no gas for a while, until they get the trees out of here and then a gas man can re-hook it up,” Betsy said.
Crews were also working in the neighborhood to remove several large trees and downed power lines. Several lines were hanging from across a neighborhood street. Fortunately, none of the wires were live.
If you have a downed power line in your area, remember to stay at least 30 feet away. You should also immediately call 9-1-1 or ONCOR at 1-888-313-4747.