Apr 13, 2009 7:11 pm US/Eastern
NJ Water Main Break Forces Evacuations
RIDGEFIELD, N.J. (AP) ―
A water main break early Monday morning in Ridgefield caused a headache for residents getting ready for work after a flood of water gushed into the streets. The break forced town executives to issue a boil water warning for the next few days.
Resident Jim Fucci awoke to find his neighbor's lawn severely damaged after the wall of water cascaded down Hamilton Avenue just before 6 a.m. when the 36-inch main burst just off the intersection of Chestnut Avenue.
"Unfortunately, it took out my neighbor's front yard, caused damage to trees, he said. "It's a mess, but thank God for the creek. We complain about the creeks, because you know, other storms we do have flood problems, but this time, the creek saved everybody."
The basements of dozens of homes were flooded and the water rose to the middle of tires of some cars parked on the street. Fire department rescue boats were deployed to evacuate the very old and the very young.
"Boats did have to come in and they took people out. There are a number of elderly, and it is spring break so a lot of children were home," said Lisa Hoffman of the Ridgefield Office of Emergency Management.
Maria Estrada's parents, frail and elderly, had to be rescued by the fire department.
"We were very fortunate that the fire department came and took us out, I have two elderly parents that live with me, so they were wheeled out and taken on an ambulance to a relative's house," said Estrada.
The water main that broke had been in the ground since the 1970s. It's now in a 25 by 25 foot crater, and officials at this point still have not figured out what caused it to break.
"There are whole houses that have been flooded, backyards that are flooded. It's a pretty bad water line break, the whole sidewalk was pushed off and a lot of the roadway on the main road line was pretty well compromised," said Ridgefield Mayor Anthony Suarez.
The break caused decreased water pressure for thousands of united water customers in Ridgefield, Palisades Park and Fairview. The break also damaged a gas line, disrupting service to dozens of customers in Ridgefield.
All customers in Ridgefield are being asked to boil their water for the next few days just as a precaution.
(© 2010 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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