CHARLOTTE, N.C. — No, your nose doesn't deceive you. There really was a natural gas odor that settled across Charlotte Thursday morning.
Fortunately, it doesn't appear to be a widespread gas leak across the city. Piedmont Natural Gas reports another company destroyed tanks of mercaptan, the additive that gives the fuel source its distinctive odor. Natural gas is typically odorless, so mercaptan is added to it to make it easier to detect if there's a leak.
Thanks to a weather inversion, the odor was spread all around, making it easier for Charlotteans to smell. In fact, it was so widespread, city officials had to ask residents to stop calling 9-1-1 to report the odor.
So we now know that the smell wasn't natural gas and that there was no imminent threat. But that didn't stop the internet-connected residents of the Queen City from reacting and sharing their thoughts.
LOL CLT, an account dedicated to humor about all things Charlotte, summed up the new knowledge about mercaptan's role in the odor and what happened.
Nicole Diez, meanwhile, had her own theory about what the smell was about.
With much of the odor concentrated in the Uptown area, the Children's Theatre of Charlotte made the choice to close ImaginOn for the day.
Charlotte resident Corey Gensler, meanwhile, is convinced that any life forms in the galaxies captured by the Webb Space Telescope are now aware of this dilemma.
Charlotte resident Dan Barker also alluded to recent events with his own observation about the odor.
WCNC Charlotte also shared posts about the smell on our Facebook page. Anna Tucker said the odor was "Very strong in Oakhurst" when we shared an update around 10 a.m.