Water main break causes issues near NW 4th and Penn
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - A water main break Monday morning put almost a quarter mile stretch of road underwater. It all happened near NW 4th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.
The city of Oklahoma City posted on Facebook Monday morning saying it was a 36-inch water main that broke causing a river of water to flow all the way down Pennsylvania Avenue that forced them to close everything between West Main Street and NW 8th Street.
A timelapse from a companies surveillance video in the area showed water filling the street as if there were flash flood warnings. However, this H20 wasn’t coming from the sky.
"I've never seen it this bad,” business owner Shelby Combs said.
The main break caused big problems for people in the area as the morning wore on.
"We're actually now having to have all of our employees leave because it's too high up and our cars are going to get stuck,” 710 Trading employee Kaitlyn Jette said early Monday morning.
Jette and other employees at 710 Trading felt that reality after the city had to close the streets.
"Definitely nerve wracking because you're having to drive your car through something that could potentially get sucked up in your engine,” Jette said. “That stuff is so thick."
Crews were cleaning up debris while business owners like Combs were trying to maintain their own space.
"Just a little bit come through the door,” Combs said.
He claims the lack of drainage there makes this a common issue for the area.
"The mains have always had issues around this area,” he said. “The toilets will kind of back up once the main backs up after a main rain."
He said he hopes this situation will spark some help for the future.
"They've built up a lot with the maps programs in other areas. I'm just hoping it'll come this way a little bit to,” Combs said.
A city spokesperson told KFOR anyone with specific complaints can speak to one of their dispatch reps who can put them ion touch with someone who can look into the issue.
At last check, city crews were still working on the problem. They posted on their Facebook page that customers in the area may have low water pressure while they work on the repair to the water main. For updates, we have provided a link to their Facebook page in this story.