WORCESTER, Mass. — A large swath of Worcester's Greendale neighborhood was flooded after a water main break Tuesday afternoon.
Worcester Emergency Management asked residents to avoid that part of the city after the water main break.
RAW VIDEO: Sky25 in Worcester where a water main break caused floodingWATCH: Truck crashes into sinkhole created by Worcester water main break https://boston25.com/2KzRnYn
Posted by Boston 25 News on Tuesday, August 7, 2018
SKY25 was over the scene, where several cars and streets were flooded with water. Parts of roads appeared to have buckled and cracked near the water main break.
#MATraffic water main break in Worecester, W Boylston Street area near the Greendale Mall. RT190-NB Exit 1 (W Boylston St/Gold Star Blvd) ramp will be closed RT12 to RT190 N will also be closed.
— Mass State Police (@MassStatePolice) August 7, 2018
The affected area included Shore Drive near West Boylston Drive and Route 12.
Worcester residents in the area were stunned that the incident happened next to their house.
"My mom came outside and showed me what happened," Kyle Chaves said. "I was outside relaxing in the pool. No one would think this would happen."
Several roads were shut down for hours, as crews worked as fast as they could to fix the problem.
"We started noticing our water tank levels were dropping rapidly," Phil Guerin, of the Worcester Department of Public Works, said. "Reports of no water, then flooding."
Now, crews are trying to figure out if a 24-inch pipe, dating back to 1955, caused the leak.
"We have to get the area dig safe, so we aren't breaking any underground utilities," Guerin said. "We will get in and dig, and see what occurred."
About 50,000 residents are being warned to limit their water usage.
"There will be rusty water, people should be cautious of that. Don’t do laundry today, if you can avoid it," Guerin said. "Minimize the water use. The water will be stirred up for the evening."
Now, firefighters have to worry about low water pressure in the area.
"Our issue is the lack of water pressure at the elevation," Worcester Fire Chief Michael Lavoie said. "If we have a fire on top of Holy Cross hill, or on the hill, we could have a problem with the water pressure in the hydrants."
No injuries were reported from the sinkhole, and crews are expected to continue to work as long as needed to repair the sinkhole.
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