Ballou HS Rocks the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Morning Roundup: Black Friday Edition
Photo of the Day: November 27, 2009
Caps Thankful for Varly in 2-0 Win
Thanks to This Week's Advertisers
Leave it to the D.C. metro area to turn something as normally humdrum as a winter water main break into a dramatic rescue operation. Tune in to News Channel 8/WJLA for the best views of the large water main break near River Road that's forced Montgomery County authorities to send in helicopters and, yes we're not kidding, boats to rescue stranded motorists caught in roughly 4 feet of rushing water due to the broken main. At least twelve people have reportedly already been rescued.
Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission said that a broken 66-inch water main is the culprit behind the sudden flood, and that they still have not been able to shut off the water yet. Given how cold the water must be, that's not going to be a fun task.
Stay tuned for more dramatic updates!
UPDATE: WJLA's updated story quotes a member of the rescue team as saying that the extreme, river or ocean rescue-style tactics they employed were deemed necessary because they were worried the trapped vehicles could have been swept away. Everyone has since been safely removed from the flooded road; a total of 15 or 16 people were rescued.
WSSC workers are now working on closing another valve up the line in order to halt the flow of water.
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebook
Sommer, seriously? Already making fun of the response before everyone has been safely accounted for?
Weak.
C'mon. lighten up. Nobody gets hurt in Bethesda.
It is a message from gawd. He says to chill with the frankincense and myrrh a bit this xmas.
Sure. Godot speaks through broken water mains all the time!
Wow making fun of a swift water rescue, classy.
Did you actually watch the video? It's pretty damn serious. Kudos to the rescue workers.
Shouldn't all those SUVs I'm seeing people being rescued out of on Fox5 be able to handle 4 feet of water?
Oh what's that, a RAV4 only has 7in of ground clearance? Oh, then I hope the MD rescue service sends them the bill.
The water is actually less than about 18 inches deep. You can see it doesn't even come up to the bottom of the car doors. These people could have just got out and walked away.
People stranded in cars is always funny! The only way it would be funnier is if you replace the wall of water with a hail of raw sewage.
I bet Monkey County's glad they spent that extra $200 million on a water rescue unit, particularly since they already sank $1.2 billion on an alpine avalanche rescue team, complete with gold-plated cyborg Saint Bernards bearing Johnny Walker Blue in their neck spigots.
Oops. I was wrong. After looking at the video the water appears to be about 6 inches deep. Apparently these people were rescued from potentially soggy shoes.
I don't think it's the depth of the water that necessitates the need for rescue. I think it's the fact that these people would be swept down the street and into a ditch, potential for drowning there, based on the extremely heavy flow of the water.
Now, I don't know why they couldn't just stay in their cars until the water is shut off. Unless the water is moving their cars too.
Water reported as 4 ft deep in places: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/traffic/bal-mainbreak1223,0,7024998.story
Also, it's 20 degrees outside. Car doors and windows are getting frozen shut pretty quickly.
I knew I shouldn't have courtesy flushed this morning! This is all my fault.
Somebody call Sweet Daddy. You really haven't been baptized until you've been baptized by a 4-foot wall of water.
A 66" diameter pipe carries a LOT of water, regardless of what it looks like on a tiny, grainy internet video taken from a helicopter hundreds of feet in the air.
Think about it. Half of the humans walking on this earth are 66" tall or less.
Furthermore, any water main break has the potential for road collapse. And a collapse of a main that big would swallow cars whole.
I think rescue is justified in this case. Its not like these people drove into an area already flooded or where flood warnings were posted.
How is it that no one has made the following jokes:
1) Ha ha... "River" Road.
2) Ha ha... the rescue team came from Cabin John "Bridge"
3) Looks like the rich folks in Bethesda are getting a bailout package, too!
4) Congressional Country Club now has a new water hazard.
I'm here all week folks... tip your wait staff.
If one CHUD with an aqualung can do this much damage, DC's in a lot of trouble. Then again, a wall of water might be the only thing standing between the innaugural Mall crowds and Port-o-potty-pocalypse.
Kayaking to work on River Road - that's keeping it real.
I was watching this on the news before I came to work. The water is definitely deeper than 6 inches. Drivers reported a 4-5 foot wall of water hitting them head-on.
By the time I left work they had managed to turn the water off halfway and the flow was thus reduced. However there will be extensive damage to River Road that will likely take weeks to repair.
Most of the city's water infrastructure is 100+ years old so this certainly won't be the only water main break this season.
I'm okay, bitches, thanks for asking.
Time to set up the relief concert...Bethesdaid?
Of course, this will only make more residents subject to AMT...
Good to hear.
But what about Potomacist?!?
Whoo! That water looked cold. I can't even take a cold shower. I'd be shaking too if I were trapped in a car with DCist sewage water swirling around me.
I would have felt like a piece of sh*t.
It's a festivus miracle, Bethesdaist!!! Do you need a BAIL OUT??
Just got a phone call from my contract liaison at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission - apparently buildings near White Flint are under a mandatory evacuation.
Like Uncle Ben used to say, "Son, when life gives you a flood of raw sewage, make raw sewage-aid. Then you get yourself a subcontract via Halliburton LLC to provide Sewage-Aid® to our troops in Iraq in a $1.2 billion no-bid contract. See, I walked into the jungle when I was 17 and when I was 21 I walked out and by god I was rich! And you never fight fair with a stranger, boy. You'll never get out of the jungle that way."
So how's the floodiness going to effect this evening's commute, particularly via the Red Line? Because last time I checked, the Metro was underground.
C'mon. lighten up. Nobody gets hurt in Bethesda.
Unless you're a drunk kid in your new Mercedes SUV. Actually, I think River Road has some of the most teen car crashes....
Hey Monkey! What about the rats and beavers they're underground, but they have flood insurance so it's OK.
Reminiscent of the "Fight the Slide" episode of Laguna Beach.
Stop scratching your heads, you all saw it.
I will be hiding out at my cabana boy's until further notice, Wizzyliz, but I could always use a bailout.
Which video did you watch, 8Man? See the link below... if you think that's 6" of water, I sure as shit hope you don't work in a field that requires taking any measurements.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/12/23/car.water.rescue/index.html
"Even though the weight of Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) may appear to offer a greater protection in crossing flooded roads, their size and larger tires can make them more buoyant and more prone to being swept away. Bottom Line: It is just as dangerous to drive an SUV through flooded waters as a regular vehicle."
That and other good "don't drive through flooded streets" tips found on this NOAA site:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/surge/flood_road.shtml
MoGoCo schools are shutting down early. Guess a non-flushing kludgie justifies a half day off. Prepare for the inevitable knife fights, drag races and other mayhem as Bethesda's teens are let loose to rape, loot and pillage.
Mo-Co teens place a high premium on post-coital "afterplay" pillaging. Then, they have pudding and watch "Saved by the Bell" reruns. It's a charmed life.
I'm in Friendship Heights, and this affected our water pressure in the morning. It was low around 8, and by like 8:10, so my shower had less pressure than my morning wizz. Thankfully, it smelled better.
This shouldn't affect metro, since the red line follows Wisconsin Ave. through downtown. River Road is far enough away from there to not be an issue. It will be a huge issue for anyone who takes it out of the city to the the beltway, assuming it's still closed this evening. Expect Wisconsin Ave., Clara Barton Parkway, etc. to be completely hosed this evening.
I'm so glad I work in the suburbs, and drive opposite all this. It's good that they were able to rescue folks quickly. This is insane.
~EEE~
As of 12:30, the WSSC Web site says only 100 customers were affected. I think they might want to revise that upwards. If you are affected, I have links to the MC updates and WSSC updates on my blog http://davidoarr.wordpress.com/
Good on the rescuers. The force of water is commonly underestimated and the on scene response was solid. I have to agree with No More Caffeine's comment. Way to stay classy, Mathis.
This just in: The Guardian newspaper (www.guardian.co.uk) has the water main break story at the top of it's webpage.
Must be a slow news day in Great Britain.
This morning they were reporting that 6-7 cars had been either swept away or overturned by the water. This should snarl rush hour a bit.
It's been on cnn.com for a couple hours now, and has been a top hit on Google News since this morning. Thank you, Liberal Media, for stroking the Morlock terrorists' egos. This will only encourage more acts of moist and stinky terror. I don't give a damn that they want a bigger smoking section at the Tastee Diner. We don't negotiate with terrorists. Period.
So, is anyone willing to speculate what the drive will be like tonight on 395 to 270?
Maybe I'll just hunker down in DC and do video conferencing with the parents for the gift opening on the 25th.
Omg. I have to get to the store and buy toilet paper and milk now!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7797855.stm
BBC too...good grief
Come on, what do expect? Media outlets have some bitchin' video footage to work with, what are they going to do, downplay it?
BBC/CNN's footage really underscores that it is NOT a 6" flood. The water is washing over the roof of that SUV with some terrifying force. It looks like even opening that door would have been dangerous.
That said, no grief to Sommer. I mean, I used to drive that route too and when I heard the news, there was a bit of incredulity that they needed helicopters on water main break... but looking at it, it's a pretty awesomely major water main break.
"Billy Baldwin!"
"I'm Alec Baldwin!"
"What are you guys doing in Springfield?"
"We bought a summer home in Springfield to get away from phony Hollywood."
"Why not Bethesda?"
"Not phony enough."
Monkey! How pretty is ya? We just had a late X-mas party. The booze was flowing like them Bethesda pipes until some goody two shoes tole them that is were too strong. I tole them that I am an adult and i don't swim in the kiddie pool. The guy pouring the drinks winked and reinforced my drink. Everythings gravy!
I wouldn't have wanted to be in water up to my knees and carrying my 50# kid. I'm surprised all those emergency brakes held on those cars.
In any event, I'd rather rescue workers practice rescues in a major/serious situation first -- better than having to "practice" in the Mather Gorge after spring melt.
Surf's Up.