Strange odor in parts of Norfolk doesn’t appear to be natural gas, officials say

Jane Harper, The Virginian-Pilot
·1 min read

A strange odor detected in parts of Norfolk Friday doesn’t appear to be from a natural gas leak, a spokesman for Virginia Natural Gas said.

The department was alerted late Thursday afternoon about concerns of a natural gas odor around Norfolk State University and as far as Old Dominion University, spokesman Rick DelaHaya said in an email.

The company’s crews began investigating Thursday with Norfolk Fire Department to determine the source of the odor, which didn’t appear to be caused by natural gas, DelaHaya said. When they got more calls on Friday, they again dispatched crews to investigate and once again determined it was not a natural gas leak, he said.

DelaHaya said if customers think they smell gas, they should move to a safe place away from the suspected leak and call 911. Next, they should call the Virginia Natural Gas Leaks, Odors or Emergencies line at 877-572-3342.

Jane Harper, jane.harper@pilotonline.com