Water Main break disaster in Maryland.

[Ed Mahmoud]

Must be a really, really big watermain.

[x-y-no]

Yeah, I think MSNBC this morning said it's a 66 inch main. That's a lot of water.

[Brent]

That's a lot of water. Air temperature was in the teens at the time, but all were rescued with no serious injuries.

[O Town]

Not just a lot of water but that water is hauling ass. Craziness.
Glad all were rescued.

[somethingfunny]

What lake does all this water come from?

Does the Metro Washington area actually use all that water in one day?

[vbhoutex]

The article said it was an 80" main. Any way you look at it, it was a major supply line for the area. It has probably caused a lot more problems than the immediately reported high water rescues. Who would ever think they would have to do high water rescues from a water main break??? Crazy!!!!

[RL3AO]

I'm surprised the Coast Guard didn't respond.

[CajunMama]

I saw the water gushing down the road on abc news tonight. That was an unbelievable amount of water. On the news they said the pipe is 66" tall. That's taller than i am! I would have been petrified being stuck in my car with the water raging around me.

[Jason Foster]

Ironically, the road where the water main broke and displayed river like water flow.....the road was called "River Road"

I heard this on my scanner earlier Tuesday morning around 730am. I didn't know at the time it was so significant. Because my scanner is older and doesn't get all the digital channels that Montgomery County was on, I only hear the initial dispatch and some units responding. However, around 830am I did flip on the news and they coverage was beginning, and I flipped at the sight I saw.

I don't live far away, and had I know at the earlier time, I certainly would have gone down and got some ground shots in spots no one else could get (I know that area very well). As it was, there was some great video that came out of this event. There was some pretty amazing factors with this event too.

-the amount of water that initially was flowing from the pipe was 150,000 gallons PER MINUTE were being release from an old cast iron pipe measuring 66" in diameter.
-there were 12 total rescues from 9 vehicles (from my count).
-there has been extensive erosion from the fast moving water and steep slope down to the nearby creek.
-school closed early because of the drop in water pressure meant difficult for boilers and running water...and because it was the last day of school before the winter/Christmas break.
-the event was broadcast on national news networks for a while, and was continuously covered on all local TV stations from about 830am until 1pm.
-the event happened early during rush hour, but didn't affect / involve more vehicles.
-everyone came out of it with minor injuries (considering the risk and the extreme cold).
-the state helicopter performed multiple air lifts
-that some of those involved, when interviewed seemed pretty calm about the event.

The valves that needed closing were difficult to close, requiring some 370 turns each. Someone from another forum said that these require a special machine. I saw three WSSC (Washington Sewer and Sanitary Commission) workers with a long rod and wheel walking in a circle....which may have been a different valve.

Kept me busy all morning, running from computer room/office to blog, to the bedroom to watch the footage on TV. Pretty insane stuff.

[Dionne]

That long rod you saw being used to close the valve is what is commonly known as a "cheater bar".....the longer the cheater bar the more leverage at the pivot point. It must have been an old valve. The large supply lines now being built have hydraulic valves. The chopper used was a Sikorsky, the same choppers used by the Coast Guard. The pilot and rescue swimmers did one helluva job! Keeping that chopper hovering in one location with a rescue basket on the end of a cable is a task in itself.

[H733Driver]

I'm surprised the Coast Guard didn't respond.

To do what? The nearest CG Station to that location is in DC...and they're not geared for swift-water rescue on streets...and nearest helo is Atlantic City...and larger helo's (HH-60 in E-City, NC) would blow people right off their feet... Besides, those Maryland State Police aircrews fly the same helo's we do and actually fly in support of some of our SAR missions...they're a great group of pilots and had it well under control. All the local counties train for those type of rescues...they stay pretty busy with kayakers and trail runners getting into trouble in the upper Potomac...