An overnight water main break in the Bronx caused serious property damage to cars, businesses and ground-level apartments -- and authorities warn it could take days to clear up.
No one was hurt when the 48-inch main on Webster Avenue, from Bedford Park Boulevard to Mosholu Parkway, ruptured Monday night, but it took until 5 a.m. Tuesday, about nine hours, to turn off the water, officials say.
That led to debris-filled streets and extensive flooding in Bedford Park. The Botanical Garden had to shut down for the day. The water rose about three feet high at its peak.
Thirteen buildings don't have gas service, officials said at a Tuesday morning briefing. The city's Office of Emergency Management planned to turn off water in several buildings for inspections and cleanup. According to the FDNY, one person was rescued from a vehicle trapped in water.
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The FDNY evacuated ground-level and basement apartments as it swept homes for anyone in need of help. Sidewalks and streets were left coated in mud, with crews from six different departments planning to work around the clock to clean, make repairs and restore gas, electricity and water.
FDNY crews were using industrial hoses to clear flooded basements, where muddy water could be found on walls.
The cause of the break is under investigation. The main was from the 1890s, officials said, but insisted that its age did not mean it had been falling apart.
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"We don't know the cause yet and we're not going to know until were able to open up the ground and take look at the pipes," said Department of Environmental Protection Deputy Commissioner Beth DeFalco.
