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Gas leak in Montour Falls prompts evacuations, road closures and service disruptions

A gas leak in the village of Montour Falls led to emergency evacuations, road closures and a temporary disruption of natural gas service to hundreds of residents Thursday afternoon. The leak occurred around 3pm when a gas pipe was damaged, prompting local authorities to take swift action.

The Schuyler County Office of Emergency Management immediately ordered the evacuation of several streets north of Main Street, including Washington, Henry, West Genesee, Clinton and Ayers streets. Residents and businesses in those areas were evacuated, while those south of Main Street were ordered to shelter in place as a precaution.

As the situation developed, the Schuyler County Sheriff's Office provided updates via social media and initially estimated it would take two to three hours to fix the leak. At 4:45 p.m., officials confirmed that New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG) had successfully stopped the gas leak, allowing evacuated residents to return home safely.

However, the incident left approximately 400 NYSEG customers in the village temporarily without natural gas service. Authorities have not yet provided a timetable for full restoration of services.

In addition to the evacuations, the gas leak caused significant traffic delays. All lanes of State Route 14 were closed and northbound traffic was diverted onto Johnson Hollow Road and State Route 414. Southbound traffic was also rerouted to State Route 414.

No injuries were reported and officials continue to monitor the situation as repairs are made and services are restored.

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