NEWPORT — Thousands of homes and businesses here will go without heat and hot water for the next two to six days, as chilly weather blows into the Tristate tonight.

        Cinergy officials say it may take that long to restore gas service to some 5,000 customers after a water main break early Thursday flooded a gas system, knocking out natural gas service to much of the city.

Sandy Mile, a cook and waitress at Sis's Family Affair in Newport, couldn't work Thursday without gas. Many restaurants had to shut down. (Patrick Reddy photo) | ZOOM |

        Cold temperatures and snow flurries with showers are predicted for the rest of the weekend. Tonight, the temperature is expected to dip into the mid-30s, according to the National Weather Service. On Saturday and Sunday, temperatures are expected to reach a high of about 40, with a chance of snow showers, possibly changing to rain.

        Nevertheless, there were no plans Thursday night to open shelters. Instead, residents with questions or emergency needs are urged to call (859) 291-2333, which is a bank of phones at Newport City Hall staffed 24 hours and over the weekend.

        Callers' needs for assistance or shelter will be evaluated and resolved on a case-by-case basis, City Manager Phil Ciafardini said at an afternoon news conference.

        “We're pulling in all the people we have available,” said Dave Woodburn, a Cinergy spokesman. “This is the biggest gas outage we've seen in decades.”

        Nearly all of Newport north of New Linden Road, south of the Ohio River and east of the Licking River to Interstate 471 was affected, Cinergy workers said. John Procario, a Cinergy executive, said water will be removed from the gas lines by tonight. Then workers will check for leaks throughout the system.

Workers attempt to seal a hole in an eight-inch gas main in the parking lot in front of Waltıs Center Lanes in the Newport Shopping Center. About 5,000 residents are without gas service as a result of the gas line break. (Patrick Reddy photo) | ZOOM |

        Those affected by the outage included:

        • Some schools that didn't have gas to cook and served cold lunches.

        • Many restaurants along Monmouth Street in downtown Newport closed.

        • The Baptist Convalescent Center had its Thursday night supper prepared at its Covington facility and transported.

        • The Newport Aquarium used alternate methods to maintain humidity and temperature in the penguin exhibit.

        • Trauth Dairy, at 11th and Monmouth streets, was running a temporary line from another gas source to remain operational.

        Individuals were struggling to make their own plans to keep warm and live without hot water.

        Cora Barnett, who cares for her 102-year-old aunt at her West 11th Street home, spent Thursday morning drawing water for cooking, drinking and flushing toilets — fearing that she, like some others in the city, would lose water service as well. Water was fully restored Thursday afternoon.

        “We've lived through worse,” Mrs. Barnett said. “I grew up in (Grants Lick), and I remember when we had no electricity or anything.”

        The 68-year-old woman said she plans to borrow a couple of kerosene heaters from one of her sons when the temperature drops this weekend.

        City officials warned people not to use such alternative heating sources, “because it is dangerous and we do not believe it will be necessary this weekend,” said Mr. Ciafardini.

        Across the street, Mrs. Barnett's neighbor, Edward Fahlbush, 58, burned himself Thursday morning trying to light his gas stove. He was treated and released from St. Luke Hospital East.

        Along Monmouth Street, signs reading “closed due to no gas” marked many of the restaurants that rely on gas for cooking and operating sanitizers on their dishwashers.

        Exceptions included The Pepper Pod, which had electric grills and an electric dishwasher; and Dixie Chili, which had about two days of pre-cooked chili chilled and an electric booster heater on its water heater.

        Lunchtime customers cruised the street in vain Thursday, looking for a place to eat.

        “No baloney sandwiches either?” a disappointed customer asked Joyce Lawson, as she locked the doors to Sis's Family Affair at 837 Monmouth St.

        “No, sorry,” she replied.

        The four-year employee of Sis's Family Affair restaurant said she ran into many of the business's regulars Thursday morning, when she stopped by the Perkins restaurant in Highland Heights.

        “Cinergy's supposed to call us when they can turn the gas back on,” Ms. Lawson said. “They said it might not be until next week.”

        More than 100 Cinergy workers were called to Newport Thursday to go door-to-door, turning off gas service and advising customers that they may be without gas for several days.

        Workers also were repairing damaged pipes and clearing water and sediment from much of the city's gas distribution system.

        The outage occurred about 3:30 a.m. Thursday, when an 8-inch, high-pressure water main near the Newport Shopping Center ruptured, blowing a hole in a 6- to 8-inch, coated steel gas line just inches away.

        Mr. Ciafardini said officials did not know what caused the water main, which is about 50 years old, to burst.
       

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