Major Water Main Break In Worcester; Man Trapped On Truck Rescued
WORCESTER (CBS) – A large water main broke in Worcester Tuesday afternoon, stranding several drivers and leaving residents without water and electricity.
The Department of Public Works said the break happened just after 3 p.m. on a high service main on Frontage Road near Shore Drive.
"Residents may experience no water, rusty water or law water pressure," the department stated. Everyone's water was restored Tuesday night, but it will take a while for decent pressure to build in the system. Officials estimate several million gallons spewed from the pipe.
The water submerged multiple vehicles, and one driver became stuck on top of his truck and surrounded by water. He was rescued after several minutes.
Another man's minivan got stuck in the floodwaters. "I turned into the street and a wall of water came at me," said Juan, who is now in the market for a new vehicle. "It was not fun."
Maria Mejia says she misjudged the floodwaters depth. "I tried to drive through the water because I didn't know it was too high," Mejia said. "But the water was too high and my car doesn't go through." She was able to walk to safety.
The floodwaters knocked out electricity to some 1700 homes.
Police could be seen diverting traffic, and the city urged people to avoid the Greendale area.
It took crews about 90 minutes to isolate the water main break. DPW said it will take several hours for water pressure to return to normal, and residents may see rusty water into the night.
