Anybody see the water main break/water rescues on MSNBC?

[Blue Diadem]

It's a large water main, I think they said a 56" main. Water is running 3-4ft deep and rushing. People were trapped in their cars. They just rescued 2 via helicopter, will be going back for at least one more person that could be seen in another car.

Holy crap, I never knew a water main could put out THAT much water.

[dysfunctional press]

1. where is this at?

:shrug:

[Political Tiger]

4. I believe Maryland

Montgomery County

[Blue Diadem]

6. Bethesda MD on River Road.

water stream is 60-70 ft wide.

[MiniMe]

7. Bethesda, Maryland. An extremely wealthy area of Bethesda

[tekisui]

11. Holy Crap! I use to work there.

I drove those roads all day. A few years ago we had a huge rain, some 10 inches in 24 hours, it flooded the street with water measured in feet.

Water doesn't have anywhere to go in dense neighborhoods like that, no permeable surfaces, it just flows.

[MiniMe]

12. It is on River Road, but has nothing to do with the river

It is all from a water main break

[Political Tiger]

2. Watching it on CNN

How terrifying it must be for those trapped!

[Blue Diadem]

18. It's just crazy. I can't imagine

being trapped like that...or the workers who are trying to rescue them. That poor rescue guy in the boat is just tied there being tossed back and forth.

[Atman]

3. I gotta say, that helicopter rescue was one of the hairiest things I've ever seen

It's amazing that the car didn't let go, and that those people could hang on to that basket. Amazing -- Pulitzer footage. I cannot believe the amount of water!

.

[Blue Diadem]

9. I was surprised there wasn't a rescue worker inside that larger

basket. It seemed like forever before the pilot could maneuver it close enough to the car. I was so afraid the wind and basket movement was going to pull that person right out of the car before they could get in.

[MiniMe]

5. People are still trapped, they are showing the rescues

That water is running FAST. Turn the damn water off.

[Blue Diadem]

10. We were wondering why they can't turn off the water.

It sounds like it's been going on for at least an hour.

[conscious evolution]

27. In older cities

sometimes the larger waterlines can't be shut off as no valves were ever installed when they were built.

[lonestarnot]

8. Damn! Everyone is out now except one.

[Blue Diadem]

15. They just said they have rescued 5, I wonder if there are more

than the one we could see easily. I'm trying to figure out what the firemen are doing by that white car with the doors open.

[lonestarnot]

25. Apparently more than one, just rescued two more.

[babylonsister]

13. Infrastructure problems? Go on!

Yes, I'm watching. Pretty frightening.

[MiniMe]

17. We had a pretty deep freeze the last few days

And it has warmed up a bit. What I want to know is why they can't shut the water off.

[Blue Diadem]

20. I wonder how old the line is.

Our water lines in town are original and we're just a tiny place. We dealt with 4 water main breaks just last week.

Most I ever think of are basements flooding or icy streets, never thought about such a huge water stream like that.

[KarenS]

14. scary stuff,,,, I've been watching, too.

to me it proves, once again, that we desperately need to repair our country's infrastructure.

[MoonRiver]

Watching it right now.

About 15 people rescued,so far. :scared:

[babylonsister]

16. It's 20 freakin' degrees there. Oh, coldness. nt

[MiniMe]

19. Warmer than it was yesterday

[MiniMe]

21. They just rescued another person

[Are_grits_groceries]

22. Here's a Google map link:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=map+bethesda+md&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7GGIC&um=1&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&resnum=1&ct=title

Find Congressional Country Club and then the intersection of Fenway drive and River Road.
This is where it entered.

[Xenotime]

23. What a horrible situation. How terrified must these people be?

[FSogol]

24. We had a 12" main break here once and it washed the entire street away. n/t

[lonestarnot]

26. This one is a 46 incher.

[MiniMe]

29. I have heard anywhere from 5-7 feet wide on the local news

[FSogol]

30. Yeah, just amazing. I'm here in Falls Church, VA and some of the Maryland

guys haven't made it in yet. Hope they are not getting helicopter rides.

[MiniMe]

28. Here is a link to the local live feed

http://www.nbcwashington.com/live/?aid=34211654&vid=33044609

[MiniMe]

31. Holy Cow. The water was gushing at 135 million gallons a minute

[Blue Diadem]

34. That shocked me too.

I heard they are concerned that sink holes might develop.

[cmf]

32. The state of our water and sewer pipes is the infrastructure problem not many are thinking about

A lot of places don't even inspect them. I pray no one gets hurt today.

[Blue Diadem]

33. 135 million gallons of water per minute when it first broke.

Holy cow, that's a lot of water.

[merh]

35. why can't they shut it off?

:shrug:

[MiniMe]

39. They are working on it. They had to figure out where to shut off the valve

[kwassa]

36. Never has River Road been so aptly named.

Driven, not floated, down it many times.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

37. Yes, but

not sure why it rates nation wide exposure. When all is said and done, it's just a broken water main.........where's the story? :shrug:

[MiniMe]

40. It wasn't the water main, it was the live rescues that drew attention to the story

Other than the fact that there were people trapped in their cars and they were using a helicopter for rescue which made for dramatic footage, it would have been a brief national story, but it would have been covered locally as it was. But it was a story locally.

[Happyhippychick]

38. I live on one house in from River Road, about 4 blocks from the site.

I heart the Cabin John Fire Department. I've lived here through 9/11, the anthrax, the sniper and now this - they are the most incredible fire fighters in the U.S. They will be receiving a large beef stew tonight, cooked with love and gratitude (and bottled water).

[kwassa]

41. Montgomery County schools are all closing at 1:00 because of this.

early dismissal!

Thanks, Santa.