Skill · Utilities
Gas, water, power: the three shutoffs
Find them, tag them, teach them. Gas comes back on only by a professional.
Federal steps in this chapter do not change by state. Local orders for Arizona come from Arizona Department of Emergency Management.
4 min read · Updated October 2026
Natural gas
"Natural gas leaks and explosions cause a significant number of fires after disasters." (Ready.gov — Safety skills; same in FEMA 2004 p. 26)
Gas meters differ. Call your gas company and ask for your meter's shut-off procedure. Make sure everyone knows it. Do not actually turn off the gas when practicing. (Ready.gov — Safety skills)
If you smell gas or hear a blowing or hissing noise: open a window and get everyone out quickly. Turn off the gas at the outside main valve if you can. Call the gas company from a neighbor's home. (Ready.gov — Safety skills)
"If you turn off the gas for any reason, only a qualified professional can turn it back on. NEVER attempt to turn the gas back on yourself." (Ready.gov — Safety skills)
Water
Find the main valve where the water line enters the house, and tag it. Make sure everyone knows where it is. (Ready.gov — Safety skills)
Make sure it shuts off completely. If it's rusted open or won't close all the way, replace it. (Ready.gov — Safety skills)
Shutting the main house valve traps the water already in your water heater and toilet tanks. Otherwise gravity can drain it. The main house valve is not the street valve in the box at the curb, which "is extremely difficult to turn and requires a special tool." (Ready.gov — Safety skills)
Electricity
"Electrical sparks can ignite natural gas if it is leaking." Teach every responsible household member how to shut off the power. (Ready.gov — Safety skills)
Locate the circuit box. "Always shut off all the individual circuits before shutting off the main circuit." (Ready.gov — Safety skills; FEMA 2004 p. 27)
Before you evacuate
If the home is damaged and you are told to, shut off water, gas, and electricity before leaving. Learn how ahead of time from a plumber, an electrician, or your utility. (FEMA 2020 guide p. 16; Ready.gov — Evacuation)
Shutoff card
Gas meter location: ________
Tool kept at: ________
Water main location: ________
Breaker panel location: ________
Checklist
Checks stay in this browser.
Sources
Public pages this chapter leans on. They win if anything here is out of date.
- Ready.gov — Safety skills
Gas, water, and electricity procedures
- Ready.gov — Evacuation
Shut off if damaged and instructed
- FEMA 2020 guide (P-2064)
Learn shutoffs from a plumber, electrician, or utility (p. 16)
- FEMA, Are You Ready? Part 1, Basic Preparedness (2004 PDF)
Utility shut-off (pp. 25–27); broken lines (p. 39)
- FEMA, Are You Ready? Part 1, archived copy
Utility shut-off (pp. 25–27); broken lines (p. 39)