Police and fire officials blocked off both Florida Ave NW and Belmont Street NW between 13th and 14th Streets to clean up flooding caused by multiple water main breaks near the area.

Florida Ave. resident Gregg Hammond says he was alerted to the break when he heard a sound like an explosion from the end of the block. Hammond says that water officials turned on water too quickly at the View 14 residential building at 14th and Florida, which is in the final stages of construction, and the main broke when gushing water hit dry pipe. Flooding water poured from Belmont down 14th, meeting water flooding from Florida and 14th, depositing large banks of silt and other sediment along both sides of Florida Avenue.

Hammond says he first called 9-1-1 upon hearing the explosion at 1:07 p.m., but received no answer on the emergency line after several calls. He says he tried 3-1-1 but received no assistance, and was only able to get through at 9-1-1 after walking up to 14th and Belmont to alert WASA figures dealing with the main break at that intersection that there was another break—and flooding—at the bottom of the hill on Florida. According to Hammond, a fire engine arrived after 40 minutes and turned off the water.

By 2:45 p.m., the water has largely subsided, but large banks of silt and sand remains—especially that accumulated under the cars parked on Florida Ave.