SAN DIEGO — After a water main break flooded several streets and at least two dozen houses on Tuesday morning, residents in North Park were left with a mess to clean up. Clean-up and repair efforts continued into the night as restoration company trucks and city crews remained in the area. Water service was restored but patching the street was expected to take longer.
“I saw that river from my window, and I said, ‘oh god, don't let it be my garage,’" said Darrin Deyoung.
The prayer that his belongings wouldn't be under water got answered.
“We got lucky,” he said. “I don't even know if I can get my truck out of here.”
Deyoung’s truck got spared after the water main break sent rushing water onto his street, but he said he is used to it.
"All the apartments flood,” said Deyoung. “We're always under water here."
Another North Park resident Michele Brown said sandbags from the Thanksgiving rainstorm she left out spared her three-story home
“Underneath the house is flooded,” she said. “I have sandbags all around that is the only thing that is saving me today because my neighbors both flooded.”
Michelle said she is grateful her neighbors stepped in when she wasn’t there.
"Neighbors helping neighbors,” she said. “He built a fence for me before I got the sandbags."
Another nearby resident said he didn’t want to believe what he was seeing.
“Look at the amount of water loss. It is unbelievable,” said Chris Dunn.
He said the water reached his ankles leaving him frustrated and wet as he let News 8 inside his basement.
“The whole world is going to know I am a pack rat,” Dunn said.
He has been a construction worker for 20 years and water crept up on some of his equipment.
"This place is in shambles because of it,” Dunn said.
As flooding from the 30-inch cast-iron water main break lasted for a couple consecutive hours Tuesday morning, Chris did what he could to save his precious tools, compressors and bikes
As water flowed all morning, some residents said they felt stranded. San Diego Lifeguards River Rescue Team went door to door asking if people were OK.
There was also heavy cleanup needed along Myrtle and Grim avenues.
“It's grim on Grim Avenue this morning,” said Mike Meloney who reported the break after leaving a yoga class at 6 a.m. "I see this gush of water coming down the street, and I'm like ‘whoa.’"
As of Tuesday night, much more cleanup and drying out needed to be done. But neighbors banded together throughout the ordeal with some residents stepping up to keep water off each other’s property.