Water Main Break Frosts Intersection On Upper West Side Amid Polar Vortex
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - As though Thursday's frigid temperatures weren't bad enough, a water main break snarled sidewalks on the Upper West Side.
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The main broke at 99th Street and Broadway Thursday morning.
Crews scrambled in the icy weather to repair the main, which broke just after 9 a.m.
The gushing water quickly turned to ice, as parents and kids had to tip toe through frozen mud to get to work and school.
"Water turns to ice really quick, and you've got to be careful. You can slip and fall. This is really bad," said Tabitha Wilson.
"There's just water everywhere, well, ice now. In this kind of weather it turns to ice really quick," another person told CBS2's Natalie Duddridge.
Police suggested residents avoid the area.
Authorities responded to the break and worked to turn the water off as quickly as they could.
"We have the Sanitation Department out with salt spreaders, make sure we get salt on the standing water to alleviate the issues with pedestrians walking. People should still use caution in the area, water was flowing for about an hour," said Department of Environmental Protection Deputy Commissioner Michael Deloach.
Some 200 households were without water and 20 businesses.
People who live nearby say they were affected when they went to shower this morning.
"Didn't see it, but the water pressure in the apartment was really low," a resident named Mark said.
People in the area had a lot of appreciation for the people working out in the cold.
"I wish I had a ton of hot chocolate to give out," Mark said.
The cause of the break is under investigation.
