Tomball Gas Leak Forces School Lockdowns, Shelter-in-Place Order Lifted

A third-party contractor struck a main natural gas line near West Lake Run Boulevard and Shaw Road in Tomball last Tuesday, triggering a multi-agency emergency response, shelter-in-place orders for nearby residents and daycare centers, and secure-mode lockdowns at four Tomball ISD campuses before crews brought the situation under control by mid-afternoon.

A contractor unrelated to CenterPoint damaged the natural gas line, according to CenterPoint. CenterPoint added that no customers experienced a natural gas outage. Crews were able to shut the gas service off by 2:15 p.m. Tomball Police then updated their Facebook page, and police updated their Facebook post at about 2:45 p.m. saying the notice had been lifted. The Tomball Professional Firefighters Association confirmed that "the leak has been addressed and crews have cleared the scene."

Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman's office shared that it was assisting the Tomball police and fire departments with the major gas leak at Westlake Run Boulevard and Shaw Road after the gas line was struck. Several agencies worked actively at the scene, including the Tomball Fire Department, Harris County Sheriff's Office, and CenterPoint Energy, with CenterPoint focusing on the gas leak while first responders secured the surrounding area. Officials urged drivers to stay away from the area around Shaw Road and Northpointe Boulevard, where roads may have been closed while crews worked.

Wildwood Elementary School and nearby daycare centers were placed under a shelter-in-place order as a precaution; parents were allowed to pick up kids, but children were not permitted outside for recess. Wildwood Elementary was placed on lockdown as a precaution, with students and staff remaining inside the building, and authorities later said the school had been secured with no gas issues on campus. People in the neighborhood could leave, but they could not get back into the area; the Tomball Professional Firefighters Association said the order also applied to nearby residents.

Tomball ISD confirmed four nearby schools were no longer in secure mode: Tomball Memorial High School, Wildwood Elementary School, Canyon Pointe Elementary School, and Oakcrest Intermediate School.

CenterPoint used the incident as a reminder of underground utility safety protocols. CenterPoint asked people to call 811 at least 48 hours before digging to allow for time to mark underground utilities. The identity of the contractor responsible for striking the line has not been released, and no injuries were reported. Anyone who smells gas should leave the area, tell others to leave, and call CenterPoint at 713-659-2111 or 888-752-8036.