Natural gas home explosions in Jackson: Residents voice concerns: 'Am I safe?'

Congressman Bennie Thompson hosted a public briefing Wednesday evening with federal, state and local agencies to allow the residents of Jackson to express their concerns regarding the January natural gas explosions and recent fires in the city.

Agencies in attendance at Greater Mount Olive M.B Church were the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Jackson Police Department, Atmos Energy Corp., Mississippi Public Service Commission, and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

"Our entire investigation is focused on one thing, and it's saving lives," NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said to more than 50 attending residents. "Our sole mission is to prevent a tragedy from reoccurring."

The National Transportation Safety Board opened an investigation around Jan. 27 into two natural gas-fueled explosions in Jackson, one of which killed 82-year-old Clara Barbour.

According to Homendy, Barbour died in her home at 185 Bristol Boulevard, when it exploded around 8:15 a.m. on Jan. 24.

Three days later, a second house that was vacant exploded around 4:35 a.m. on Jan. 27 on 1146 Shalimar Drive, 0.7 miles away from Barbour's residence. Homendy said the explosion on Shalimar Drive caused a fire that spread to a neighboring home.

According to NTSB's preliminary report, all three homes were destroyed. There were no injuries or deaths from the second event, Homendy said.

Both homes in the explosion were using gas connections from Atmos Energy.

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Larry Weems, pastor of Davis Temple Church of God in Christ, said he lives two houses down from Barbour's home. Weems said he needed authorities to reassure him that himself and others are safe.

"There is an elementary school two streets before (me), and there is a high school two streets over (from me)," Weems said, directing his statement to officials. "I want to know am I safe in my neighborhood. I need to know, am I safe?"

A Central District Public Safety Commissioner spokesperson, told Weems, "To be very transparent, we are doing our best to make sure everyone is safe. I wish I could answer that with a simple answer... There's not a simple A, B, C, D answer from the state level."

Vincent Grizzell, deputy chief of support services at the Jackson Police Department, said the police department is working as the local authority to keep residents safe.

According to Grizzell, JPD responds to calls concerning citizens "smelling gas" along with the Jackson Fire Department.

Grizzell cited data that 911 dispatchers have received 285 gas service calls from Jacksonians from mid-February of 2023 to April 17, 2024. According to Grizzell, the fire department responded to all of those calls except for 11.

Grizzell said after the details of the call is gathered, the information is then sent to Atmos.

Grizzell told attending residents that unfortunately, the police department has not "really paid attention to" gas leak calls due to officers working other cases such as domestic disputes and also because officers do not have the proper expertise on how to cease a gas incident. But this will change as officers are educated, Grizzell said.

"It's very important for us to understand those calls to keep people safe," Grizzell said. "If you smell gas, call."

Claudine McGee, of South Jackson, spoke at the briefing asking an Atmos spokesperson why residents should be calling the Jackson police and fire department to assess the situation, when the officials are not best equipped to address the situation.

"Why hasn't Atmos set up an office that would deal with these kinds of situation? Why are (residents) directed to the fire department? We should be directed to (Atmos) office that has been set up specifically to address these issues until they are fixed," McGee said.

"If we get a phone call, we are going to respond, point blank period. It is our policy that if you call, then we will respond. That's part of what we do to make sure your family is safe," said Bobby Morgan, spokesperson at Atmos Energy. "All of those 285 calls that come to us, we respond."

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Thompson, along with the attending residents each said that Atmos should respond before the incident occurs rather than after.

"Most of us are Atmos customers. We pay a gas bill every month,” Thompson said. “So, it’s important as a customer that we understand what the protocols are. But we also want to ensure that things like this, if possible, never happens again.”

In NTSB's preliminary report, officials revealed that Atmos discovered two leaks near the sites of the explosions over a month before they occurred. Atmos classifies any leaks based on three grades: Grade 1 is hazardous. Grades 2 and 3 are not hazardous.

NTSB official Ashley Horton said at the Bristol Boulevard residence, a leak happened on Nov. 11, 2023. Atmos classified the leak as “Grade 2,” also deemed as nonhazardous with potential to become hazardous.

Horton said at the Shalimar Drive residence, a leak happened on Dec. 1, 2023. Atmos classified this leak as “Grade 3,” also deemed as nonhazardous and not likely to become hazardous.

Horton said Atmos also did not repair either leak prior to the explosions.

According to NTSB Chairwoman Homendy, the safety board is aware of known leaks that occurred before the January incidents. Homendy said the safety board knows about 120 leaks in South Jackson and 289 in a five-mile radius around the city of Jackson.

Homendy said Atmos reported to the safety board that Grade 1 leaks are fixed immediately and 100% of Grade 2 leaks have been fixed. There are 88% of Grade 3 leaks have been repaired in South Jackson, and 69% of Grade 3 leaks have been repaired in the five-mile radius of the city of Jackson.

Homendy said the safety board still has to verify the percentages that were reported to them.

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Homendy said the agency has yet to release a cause of the incidents. Homendy said a final report could take 12-24 months.

"You don't deserve this," Homendy said to all Jackson residents. "You deserve transparency. You need to know what is happening in your community."

"We look forward to continuing to work with you, and it will take time for our investigation. But we will continue to provide updates," Homendy said.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson MS residents speak on January 2024 gas explosions