Dozens Of Cars Damaged In Massive Water Main Break That Flooded Several Blocks In Long Island City, Queens
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Crews are on the scene of a massive water main break in Long Island City, Queens.
The break was under control by noon, but crews are still trying to figure out what caused it, CBS2's John Dias reported Thursday.
Roadways were flooded under three feet of water near 41st Avenue and Vernon Boulevard around 4 a.m.
At least two buildings at the Queensbridge housing development have been without water for almost eight hours because of the break.
Posted by CBS New York on Thursday, January 28, 2021
Several cars were submerged. Steve Wedderburn said his Honda CR-V is ruined.
"It was parked right here yesterday, so the water pushed it over," Wedderburn said.
Wedderburn is not alone. The flood damaged dozens of cars, many of which likely cannot be fixed.
"It's crazy man, I've got to get a new car now," another person said to Dias. "It's totaled, all the inside, everything, the seats... computer. Everything in the car is totaled."
The water spread across at least three blocks. Citizen App video shows when the water was at the peak, roughly three feet.
The FDNY has been helping people navigate the area. One woman was trapped in her car and needed help from a firefighter to get out.
When the water finally receded, silt was left all over.
Crews spent most of the morning towing cars away to fix the broken pipe.
"We don't know how the windows got rolled down. Something with the water must've messed with the mechanism inside the car because the windows were down... trunk was popped open," said Miss Livingston, whose daughter's car was towed.
Others came out of their apartments to discover items they left in their cars were destroyed.
"The shoes are ruined, I have other shoes in here ruined," one person said.
Miranda Martinez said she just bought two air fryers as gifts. She left them in her trunk. They're now broken, like her car.
"I'm really upset right now. I hope that they can do something about it because I need my car," Martinez said.
CBS2 was told the flood did not damage any buildings or structures in the area.
The cause of break is not yet known.
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