BREAKING: Water main break traps at least 18 cars in Bethesda, MD

[charlie and algernon]

Source: CNN, MSNBC

Breaking on CNN an MSNBC, several cars trapped by fast flowing water on bethesda, MD street.

Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/W/WATER_MAIN_BREAK?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2008-12-23-08-58-08

[Jennicut]

1. Watching it on CNN, it looks very bad and dangerous

[charlie and algernon]

2. the name of the road, "River Road" is suddenly appropriate

looks like a raging river. MSNBC saying dozens trapped inside the cars.

[inanna]

3. Link here:

Drivers trapped after water main break near DC

BETHESDA, Md. (AP) -- Crews are scrambling to rescue motorists who are stranded in at least four feet of water following a massive water main break just outside Washington, D.C.

Television images showed two people in a minivan climbing into a basket that was lowered from a helicopter flying overhead.

Montgomery County fire department spokesman Pete Piringer says at least a dozen people have been rescued from their vehicles so far. There were no injuries reported so far.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/W/WATER_MAIN_BREAK?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2008-12-23-08-58-08

[Clovis Sangrail]

4. live link

http://cfc.wjla.com/livestream.cfm?stream=channel5

[tekisui]

5. I use to work on River Rd.

That is wild.

[charlie and algernon]

6. wow

is it the main artery to DC that MSNBC has been saying it is?

[tekisui]

7. Yes. It is a big road.

It's not the only or even the biggest, but it is one of the main roads. I can't tell where on River Rd it is happening, though. It's a long road, too.

[MountainLaurel]

18. Outside the Beltway

Past the intersection with Seven Locks Road but before Bradley.

[charlie and algernon]

8. rescuing an elderly person now

plucked him/her out of their car and putting them in a boat

[Xenotime]

9. This is just a horrible and terrifying situation.

[elleng]

10. Thanks.

Not planning on driving anywhere, but will inform friends etc.

[charlie and algernon]

12. you're welcome

I'd be suprised if that road was reopened before Christmas, there's going to be some heavy damage from the water.

[elleng]

13. Yes.

Trying to figure out exactly where, but difficult from this view.

[dipsydoodle]

11. We've even got that live in the UK

It's on Sky News on TV.

That was a 96 inch main which went !

[bigworld]

14. Google Earthers, it's at 38°59'53.35"N 77°10'17.59"W

Or thereabouts. Near the Country Club entrance.

[charlie and algernon]

15. 135 million gallons gushing out a MINUTE!!!!!

at the start, now down to 65 million gallons!! :wow:

As per MSNBC

[katukov]

21. Correction - 150 thousand gallons per minute

MSNBC got it wrong. 150,000 gpm is within the capability of a 66-inch pipe; 135 million per MSNBC, is not.

I bet this will turn out to be prestressed concrete cylinder pipe with the higher wire stress allowance used in the 1960's and 70's, per AWWA C301. Been a lot of failures of this stuff. Whereas a good steel pipe with mortar lining and coating can last 100 years.

Infrastructure projects are needed!

Sorry to quibble, I'm just a water engineer.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

24. cool. you make water?

Can you engineer a vodka flavored one for me, please?

Funny how people underestimate the power of water. hydraulic pressures, turbulence, pressure waves - neat stuff. The video may scare people, but to get really scared, be on a beach that is hit by a solitary wave. THAT is scary.

[Balderdash]

16. I'm glad that you posted this, my daughter works

in Bethesda. She's ok though, she doesn't take River Road. Wow, it really is a raging river...

[Captain Hilts]

17. The water is running brown in Chev Chase and downtown Bethesda Bldgs are without. nt

[bread_and_roses]

19. Free Marketeer Capitalism at Work Again - Let the Commons Rot

Let the infrastructure crumble so the rich don't have to pay fair taxes, let the commons spend to rescue the unfortunate hoi polloi who get caught in the destruction....

Of course, I'm not watching or listening so for all I know it's a brand-new main (perhaps ill-constructed by private profiteers cutting costs and hiring cheap, unskilled labor) - but the point stands in general, and I'm on a rant today, for whatever reason. I hope everyone is safely rescued, but I also hope that some of those who have to be hauled out are those very over-class over-lords who think they are immune from the tribulations of the commons.

[cap]

20. it may well be the uber-class

Bethesda is a well to do area.

[DS1]

23. Oh for fuck's sake

I'm so tired of seeing this crap here. How do you know rich people weren't caught up in the mess. Do you just assume they helicopter around at all times?

Pull your head out of your ass

[Ian David]

22. Other third-world countries don't maintain their infrastructure, either. n/t