HASTINGS, Mich. — Homeowners and businesses in Hastings and Nashville may be spending Easter Sunday with no heat and no way to cook after a major gas leak.
This comes after a massive gas leak Wednesday night that disrupted service to nearly 5,000 Consumers Energy customers.
The staff at Hastings Laundry Center, located at 306 East Court Street, wasn't prepared for the gas getting shut off. They call the experience devastating and frustrating.
Normally their washers would be shaking and dryers tumbling, but instead, staff had to take advantage of the downtime Friday by deep cleaning the laundromat.
"We've had to close and we've lost a lot of business due to it because laundromats are an essential in the community," said Tama Allerding, the laundromat's manager.
Consumers Energy shut off their natural gas Wednesday night until further notice.
"I've been having to send customers to Lake Odessa or Charlotte. 25, 30 miles away to get their laundry done and some people don't have the ability to go that distance."
A gas line leak under the Thornapple River left thousands of customers without natural gas. The utilities company continued to work hard Friday to restore it.
"Once we get through this weekend and the process of reconnecting everybody, then we're going to go back, I don't have timing yet, but then we're going to be back and work on the permanent repairs to put in another steel pipeline that will be there permanently and continue to serve the community," said Brian Wheeler, a spokesperson for Consumers Energy.
It is unknown what caused the gas leak at this time.
At the Hastings Ace Hardware store next door, certain items were flying off the shelves.
"Definitely there has been a huge demand for those home comfort items. Fans, heaters and the like. Hot plates," said Richard Howard, Department Manager. "We're trying to keep them replenished as we can."
Allerding can only hope natural gas will return this weekend.
"We're sympathetic to our customers knowing how they're suffering along with us. We're suffering with them."
Consumers expects most if not all customers to have gas back on by this weekend.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.