Water Heater issues. Can gas service interruption cause damage?

[Steve K.]

Any water heater gurus out there? We're remodeling a unit after an eviction. Gas was off for a few weeks, and now that it's back on the water heater isn't working. For a while the pilot would stay lit until the unit heated water, and then go out. Now I can't get the pilot to light at all. It's a 2015 Rheem, internal thermo-coupler kind I believe, I can't access the thermo-coupler to clean it or anything. Is it possible that the gas service interruption caused a problem with the water heater? The tenant says it was working prior to the service interruption. The gas furnace located right next to the water heater is working fine so I don't think it's a supply issue. Hoping to avoid replacing a water heater that is less than 3 years old.