Spotting a dry patch of grass in your yard is one of many signs of a potential gas leak. That's why you should rely on all of your senses and:

Look

• Dirt, water or debris being blown in the air
• Dead or dying vegetation (in an otherwise moist area) over or near pipeline areas
• A fire or explosion near a pipeline
• Exposed pipeline after an earthquake, fire, flood or other disaster

Listen

• An unusual sound, such as a hissing, whistling or roaring sound near a natural gas line.

Smell

• The distinctive odor of natural gas

Some persons may not be able to smell the odor because they have a diminished sense of smell, olfactory fatigue (normal, temporary inability to distinguish an odor after prolonged exposure to it) or because the odor is being masked or hidden by other odors that are present, such as cooking, damp, musty or chemical odors. In addition, certain conditions in pipe and soil can cause odor fade—the loss of odorant so that it is not detectable by smell.

Guidelines if you encounter a leaking natural gas pipe or meter