PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Car owners in the Callowhill section of the city got more than chocolate this Valentine’s Day when a pipe burst in a local garage late Saturday night, submerging 20 cars in nearly three feet of water.
The flooding happened at the garage on the main campus of the Community College of Philadelphia, at 16th and Callowhill streets. Firefighters rushed to the scene but initially struggled to shut off the water.
Don with Philly Boy Towing company described it as a “swimming pool” of water at the garage’s lower level.
“Man it was raining, like Niagara Falls in here man,” Don said. “It was really pouring like by hundreds of gallons dumping by the minute.”
He’d been working since about 3 a.m., pulling cars as water continued to pour.
“Yeah, like a lot of cars were under water, especially down there,” he said. “Firefighters couldn’t turn it off, they had water boys & pipe boys, they couldn’t turn it off.”
Finally, he said the water was turned off from the street level as a temporary solution after hours of struggling to get the water under control.
“The main pipe on the top of the parking lot, which was adjacent to the street, had busted,” Don said.
Linda Web works across the street and rushed to see if her car was underwater.
“Imagine if it were mine. I’m just thankful and grateful that my car wasn’t in the garage,” she said. “Thank god it wasn’t mine. I feel sorry for the people whose was though.”
Work crews are scheduled to return to the garage later Sunday to complete repairs.