Crews respond to gas leak along NC 211 near Southport

SOUTHPORT, NC (WWAY) — A gas leak shut down a stretch of NC highway 211 near Southport for a couple of hours Wednesday afternoon. 

Authorities say the gas leak was caused by construction in the area. NC Highway 211 was closed from NC 133 to St. James Drive around noon.  

Several businesses were evacuated, including a nearby church and pre-school. 

The roadblocks had significant traffic impacts—especially for residents in St. James Plantation who were trying to get home. 

Fletcher Reynolds works at Dawn’s Lawn and Landscapes, and says he could smell gas before they were evacuated. 

“Yeah it was like hissing, it was a hissing noise, man. It was like ‘sssssss,’ you know? Like I said, it sounded like rock coming out of the back end of some of these dump trucks with all road work going on,” he recalled. “And then after a while you can smell it, and everybody was like, ‘hey man, you need to back up.’ Police officers came over here and asked us to get out of the way.” 

The Southport Fire Department said 19 children and 39 adults were evacuated. All roads were reopened before 3 p.m.