ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Residents in the area of Culver Road and Meredith Street are dealing with the aftermath of a huge water main break that released about 2 million gallons of water and flooded around ten basements.
RELATED: See photos and video of the water main break on Culver Road and Meredith Street
Residents are advised to file claims through their insurance companies. Many are without heat as the water destroyed their furnaces. At least one family is staying with relatives to keep their children warm.
“Our furnace is destroyed from behind submerged underwater. Our washer and dryer are done. Thankfully our water tank is okay because we had a tankless water tank, but my neighbors all have to replace theirs,” said Salena Klass. “They don’t have hot water. I’m worried about the structure of our house where all the water was coming through there was crevices or like little holes that water was spewing out of.”
Klass expressed concerns about mold and the loss of her children’s winter gear. She also showed the few Christmas stockings that are left, while other holiday decorations were lost.
Klass said she went through several different departments at City Hall to determine who to contact for assistance and was provided a form to file a claim for her home’s damages.
The city confirmed it received calls about the break around 2:30 a.m. While someone assessed the break at 5:45 a.m., News10NBC’s crew did not observe the Rochester Bureau of Water starting repairs until just before 8 a.m. The city says it’s working to investigate the timeline of events.
Around 1 p.m. on Wednesday, the City of Rochester sent News10NBC a statement about the break, saying in part:
“The City of Rochester, like all long-established cities, has an aging infrastructure. We anticipate water main breaks will occur, and therefore have established policies and procedures designed to ensure timely responses to all water main breaks at all times. Those procedures do not change because of holidays.
In the early hours of Tues., Nov. 11, an eight-inch residential water main ruptured at the corner of Culver Rd. and Meredith St. It is estimated that during the course of the break, the 113-year-old water main released approximately two million gallons of water. Based upon information currently available to the City, 36 customers were without water, and approximately 10 residents experienced basement flooding.”
Residents are encouraged to submit claim forms as soon as possible if they believe the city is liable for damages. These forms must be notarized and delivered in person or by certified mail. You can find the form on the city’s website here.
RELATED:
- Water main break off Culver Road leaves 30 homes without water
- Area of Culver Rd still shut down Wednesday after water main break; Water back on for neighbors
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