'It Looked Apocalyptic': 30-Inch Broken Water Main Floods Streets In Queen Village
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A broken water main disrupted a South Philadelphia neighborhood overnight. The 30-inch main broke after midnight Sunday near 6th and Bainbridge Streets in Queen Village and flooded nearby streets.
Home and business owners spent the day cleaning up.
"Someone rang our doorbell at 1 a.m. which sometimes happens in the city, people just walking by," said Queen Village resident Kerry Milch.
It's a ring that Kerry Milch says she typically ignores. But there was no ignoring it Sunday morning. It was a firefighter alerting her family and her neighbors that a 30-inch water main broke and that they needed to shelter in place.
"I looked out of our 4th-floor window and saw a tremendous amount of water rushing down the block. It looked apocalyptic," said Milch.
"Lots of water. It was like rapids going down the street," Queen Village resident Enid Krasner said.
Enid Krasner now has four inches of water in her basement.
By daybreak, you could see the massive hole in the street at the intersection. Philadelphia water crews were still pumping water out of the hole. Where the water stopped gushing a muddy sludge was left behind.
Cars were destroyed and had to be towed away.
"It's city living. We're kind of used to this. It's not ideal obviously," Milch said.
"It's not tragic, it's just a mess," Krasner said.
Officials say all water service has been restored as of 5 p.m. Anyone still experiencing issues should call (215) 685-6300. South 6th Street between South and Fitzwater Streets will remain closed until further notice.
