NEW YORK — A massive water main break in the Bronx caused quite a headache Monday evening.
Officials said a 48-inch main was broken on Webster Avenue under Mosholu Parkway and repairs would continue overnight.
What will follow will be a long clean-up operation above ground.
Webster Avenue transformed into a river
Officials said water began flowing down Webster Avenue around 7:30 p.m., flooding vehicles, floating bags of trash and leaving hundreds of area residents without water service.
The pause prompted a major response from numerous city agencies, including NYC Emergency Management, the FDNY, the NYPD and the Department of Environmental Protection.
One block after another there was water everywhere. For many it was a breathtaking sight.
“This is a swimming pool. This is not the path I normally walk. Unbelievable,” said resident Emily Torres.
Officials said the large break caused water to flow into the streets and crash into cars. Firefighters rescued one woman before taking her to safety.
“My car is swimming there,” said Sharon Ilo, who added that she rarely parks on Webster Avenue. “You park on the street and take a chance.”
“Everyone’s car is flooded and we have no water,” Edina Gutic said.
Gutic, a landlord and mother, had to comfort her son and had to deal with 87 of her units not having water service.
“This is not something anyone wants to experience and you have children and elderly people and this is unfortunate,” Gutic said.
‘I wasn’t prepared for this’
Melissa Palacios and her husband also had no water and had rushed to the market after work.
“I wasn’t prepared for this,” Palacios said. ‘The toilets don’t flush. The bathtubs don’t work.’
The situation will remain a wait-and-see approach for many.
“Hopefully we can get to work tomorrow and hopefully it won’t get worse,” Eliezer Palacios said.
