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Southern soaking

Tennessee’s propane retailers persevere through dramatic flooding

Tanks displaced at Flamegas’ bulk plant in Lebanon, Tenn. (Photo courtesy of the Tennessee Propane Gas Association)

A drilling rig explosion and major oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico that’s swamping U.S. coastlines. Historic flooding in the South. A car bomb scare in New York City’s Times Square.

The nation has dealt with tragedy, disaster and heightened fears over the past couple of months. Eleven workers died in the Deepwater Horizon incident on April 20 in the Gulf. At least 30 people were killed in flooding that began on May 1 across several southern states. Fortunately, additional loss of life was avoided in the May 1 terrorist attempt on U.S. soil.

While propane has ties to crude oil, and the car bomb suspect used propane tanks in his failed contraption, the national story that affected our industry most was the dramatic flooding in Tennessee. Some of the photos and videos available online are amazing: cars nearly submerged on highways; neighborhoods turned into raging rivers; Nashville streets, businesses and notable locations flooded with the overflowing waters of the Cumberland River.

Middle and west Tennessee were hit hard as 42 counties were declared federal disaster areas following the flood, reports Tony Slayden, a longtime member of the Tennessee Propane Gas Association and current chairman of the state association’s Governmental Affairs Committee.

The association has about 165 retail propane locations, and many operations in those counties were affected on some level by the flooding. Nashville and the surrounding counties took the brunt of the storms.

“Sure, we [propane retailers] have been affected, but most of our losses have been more of an inconvenience,” says Slayden, also vice president and regional manager for Heritage Propane in Franklin, Tenn. “Many of our customers, friends and relatives lost everything. It will take months and years for them to recover from this. For most of us retailers, it will be business as usual in the days ahead.”

Most of the problems were related to customer tanks floating on or away from the property; customers have been seeking assistance with recovering those tanks and reestablishing service. Some retailers experienced flooded offices, and others had bulk storage plants under water, Slayden reports. In one instance, tanks floating in a storage yard destroyed the fence and sailed away from the property.

Retailers have focused on tank recovery, changing out regulators and other damaged tank equipment and completing a thorough gas check on the customer’s system, Slayden says.

Safety is at the forefront in a situation like this.

“The Tennessee association is supporting the membership anyway it can,” Slayden adds. “The members are assisting and helping each other in the recovery process. Retailers are working with the emergency and remediation groups in the recovery process.”

Quiet in Kentucky
Kentucky hadn’t seen so much rain since 1997, recalls Tod Griffin, executive director of the Kentucky Propane Gas Association. Some parts of the state received 16 inches, raising the rivers and closing roads. However, the phones were quiet at the association’s offices in Frankfort, Ky., indicating that many retailers dodged the worst.

“It was interesting because we didn’t hear from our dealers, but I think it’s probably because those dealers who went through the 1997 flood here in Kentucky, where we had lots of issues, had learned from that,” Griffin says. “I think they were prepared this time, so that’s a good story.”

The state seems to face “a pretty decent flood” every decade, adds Laura Cole, the association’s associate director. “So most everybody knows the drill,” she says, referring to retailers who cap off lines and tie down tanks before the rains begin.

Let’s hope the worst is behind those affected by spring flooding and brighter days lie ahead.