Bank evacuated following gas leak

By David Richards (Contact) | Austin Daily Herald

Published Tuesday, June 16, 2009

ADAMS — About a block and a half of Highway 56 in Adams was shut down Monday morning after a gas leak was reported near the area of Farmers State Bank of Adams.

Employees were evacuated as a precaution beginning at 10 a.m. until the bank reopened at 2 p.m.

The leak was caused by a defective “tapping tee” device, which allows gas to go from the gas main to the service line, said Bob Danner, of Albert Lea’s Alliant Energy.

Alliant Energy repaired the leak, and Danner said that although gas was migrating into the bank building when the leak occurred, there were no injuries during the incident.

Adams Chief of Police Mike Gehrke said the Adams Fire Department and ambulance service were dispatched to the scene, along with the Mower County Sheriff’s Department and Adams law enforcement.

Gehrke said traffic was redirected around the leak for about an hour.

By Monday afternoon, both Highway 56 through Adams and the bank had reopened.

Connie Hoff, president of Farmers State Bank of Adams, said the bank’s Rose Creek branch was open during the evacuation, giving customers another option for their banking needs.

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