MONTEREY, Tenn. — A ruptured natural gas line near the Muddy Pond community in Overton County brought crews from several counties racing to the Upper Cumberland on Wednesday, but responders found neither a fire nor an explosion once they reached the site.
County emergency services got word of the rupture at 10:28 a.m. Early reports had described a blast with several people hurt. In the end, only a handful of people needed to be checked out, and their injuries were minor.
As a precaution, the Overton County Emergency Management Agency ordered people within a mile and a half of the line to leave. That order was lifted once officials decided the area was safe. Buses at nearby Wilson Elementary School did not run, after-school activities were called off, and parents were asked to come get their children.
The line belongs to the East Tennessee Natural Gas system operated by Enbridge, which isolated the damaged section and said the public was not at risk. The gas was shut off, and the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency dispatched one of its district coordinators so the county could organize resources and handle any unmet needs.
The response drew fire crews from Livingston, Cookeville and Crossville, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, and emergency management teams from Putnam, Clay and Fentress counties. Overton County Executive Austin Dodson praised the quick work of local and neighboring agencies and said workers had been at the site when the rupture happened.
Investigators have not yet determined why the line failed. Hanging Limb Highway is open again, though a smaller road off the highway stayed closed while crews kept evaluating the area.
Section: More Nashville TN crime news
Filed under: Nashville TN Public Safety News
