Why city street surveys miss methane leaks, and what that means for safety

The complexities of urban environments—like variable winds off tall buildings or surfaces—significantly impair the ability to detect natural gas leaks from underground pipelines, a new study shows. SMU researchers found that detection probability can be reduced by 16 percentage points for methane gas leaks from main pipelines and by as much as 38 percentage points for service line leaks in urban areas, compared to rural settings.


play_arrow All United States of America News
2 w.
Weather
ID: -3149878139539106156


Similar News expand_more


44 h. Letters: Pedestrian deaths on S.F.’s streets are preventable. Other cities show how it can be done
Crime
2 w. National Safety Council Projects 12% Decrease in U.S. Traffic Fatalities in 2025
Automotive
5 d. Seattle Council hears updates on city’s response to ongoing federal immigration crackdown: data privacy, police directives, and ‘Stand Together’ signs
Politics
3 w. ⚠️VERY HAZARDOUS weather conditions for Los Angeles County from 11 AM to 2 PM today⚠️ We are closely monitoring potential for:
Weather
8 d. UPDATE: Snowstorm causes avalanche risk to rise, city facilities and Thane Road closed
Weather
1 M. How safe is your neighborhood? Map show crime rate across San Francisco
Crime
4 d. Residents evacuated after natural gas leak in Seattle’s Leschi neighborhood
Weather
1 M. Understanding the hazard potential of the Seattle fault zone: It's 'pretty close to home'
Weather
2 w. Hot cities, safer buildings: A cooling coating that can also reduce fire risk
Real Estate
3 w. Citing fire risk, L.A. city may get more power to remove hillside homeless encampments
Real Estate
8 d. This City Was Just Named the Most Livable in the U.S.—With Clean Air, Easy Outdoor Access, and Job Stability
Travel
1 M. U.S. Natural Gas Strategies Episode 1: The End of Easy Gas and Emerging Opportunities
Technology
4 d. Nearly a dozen homes evacuated due to broken natural gas line in Seattle
Weather
2 w. Community Tips Help SPD Traffic Unit Stop and Cite Chronic Reckless Driver in Ballard
Automotive
23 h. 2025 saw relatively fewer natural disasters. Will you get a break on home insurance?
Real Estate
1 w. Nancy Guthrie neighbors' Ring camera captures vehicles on possible route from crime scene
Automotive
1 M. Mayor Bass facing blowback over explosive report that she altered wildfire report to downplay city's role
Weather
8 d. Flashing beacons will help pedestrians navigate troublesome Washington intersection
Automotive
1 M. More than 200 people evaluated in Tennessee after carbon monoxide leak infiltrates university facility
Education
1 M. Cities across California shatter temperature records amid unusual winter warmth
Weather
2 w. Terrifying moment caught on camera as road collapse suddenly swallows vehicles at busy intersection
Automotive
2 w. The Bay Area Chill Could Set Record Lows in These Cities. Some Climate Scientists Are Worried
Weather
3 w. Four takeaways on PG&E’s ‘unacceptable’ response to massive S.F. blackouts
Weather
1 M. Decoding the shadows: Vehicle recognition software uncovers unusual traffic behavior
Automotive
2 w. Researchers develop a system that detects subtle defects missed by existing industrial visual inspection
Science
3 w. “He stopped in the center of the street — Washington Avenue, a major Minneapolis thoroughfare — and kissed me so hard and so well for so long that traffic stopped, lights changed and the bustling city went silent as the drivers, instead of honking or hollering
Automotive
1 M. RFAs: Enhancing Wildfire Smoke Preparedness in Community Buildings (United States)
Real Estate
9 d. ‘Our neighbor was killed in this crosswalk’ — Seattle Department of Transportation begins review of safety at Pine and Bellevue as grassroots signs and barriers go up
Automotive
6 d. This hip L.A. neighborhood is installing emergency sirens to warn of ICE raids
Weather
3 w. Need a getaway? A different Bay Area awaits on the roads less traveled
Travel
2 w. Washington DC mayor declares Potomac sewage spill emergency, requests federal support
Weather
1 w. Drivers asked to avoid portion of W Washington Center Road as police respond to crash
Automotive
1 M. Seattle teen reported missing; police say there’s a ‘credible threat to health and safety’
Crime
2 w. Hot spots and cold snaps: Daily stream temperature data across the U.S. from 1979
Weather
3 w. State to host virtual meeting on plan to improve safety at dangerous Juneau intersection
Technology
92 m. VIDEO: ‘We need your ideas,’ SPD tells community members at West Seattle’s first ‘Our City, Our Safety’ meeting
Automotive
1 M. After decades of uncontrolled data collection, Washington is limiting the use of traffic cameras in 2026 with a law that could forever change the way cars are tracked in the United States (and what they know about you without you realizing it)
Automotive
2 w. NYC Mayor Mamdani dodges question on why snow shovelers need 2 forms of ID, but voters need none
Politics
1 w. Can smart cameras improve evacuations? A new approach to smarter crowd mapping
Automotive
6 d. Sanctuary Cities Sought to Protect from ICE Nearly 18,000 Criminal Illegal Aliens Last Year
Crime
1 M. Last year's apartment fire at 1550 Filbert Street in San Francisco's Cow Hollow neighborhood sheds light on hoarding disorder
Real Estate
2 w. Confidential memo reveals how LAFD tried shielding Mayor Bass from fire fallout
Crime
3 w. California storm closes roads, triggers flash flood warnings. Here's how long it will last
Weather
3 w. MS NOW's Ruhle: Environmental Deregulation Lowering Car Prices Meaningful if You Want to Litter and Smoke in Gas Guzzler
Automotive
1 M. Infusing asphalt with plastic could help roads last longer and resist cracking under heat
Automotive
1 M. 1st tests come back clean, but boil water advisory still in effect for much of Allegheny and Washington counties
Weather
3 w. Live weather updates: Drivers stranded in high water, evacuation warnings in effect amid SoCal storm
Weather
3 w. La Niña is fading as El Niño appears: Here's what California can expect
Weather
3 w. Trump calls climate change threat to public health "a scam" but scientific findings show otherwise
Weather
Popular countries based on strong economic and political relations
Add Watch Country

arrow_drop_down