Natural Gas Odor Detected By Residents Blamed On Snowpack

HARFORD COUNTY, MD — While digging out from under the snow and ice from the latest winter storm, residents have been detecting gas odors when outside.

Officials stated that 911 has been "inundated" with calls and investigated each one, but could not determine the source of the gas smell. In some cases, the smell was determined to be something other than natural gas by using gas detection meters.

Harford County isn't the only location reporting weird wafting smells, officials said.

"Given the recent heavy accumulation of snowpack from last week's storms, it is believed that this complaint may be the result of blocked storm drain inlets and other avenues where the normal dispersion of what we know as 'sewer gas' is able to vent to the air," the county stated.

Natural gas is infused with a chemical called mercaptan that allows potential leaks to be detected, because natural gas does not include a detectable odor.

"If you detect an odor of what you feel is natural gas inside of any structure or notice a loud hissing noise around a gas meter or gas piping, evacuate the structure and call 911 for assistance," the county stated. "Your fire service officials are monitoring the situation. As the snowpack starts to melt, we believe this issue will resolve itself."