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Large water main break floods streets in North Philly

At least six homes will require work after water rushed down Fourth Street on Thursday morning.

A water main break at Hewson Street and North Fourth Street in Philadelphia on Thursday caused the road to buckle and flooded the street for hours.
A water main break at Hewson Street and North Fourth Street in Philadelphia on Thursday caused the road to buckle and flooded the street for hours.Read moreHEATHER KHALIFA / Staff Photographer
    by Rob Tornoe
    Updated 
    Published 

A large water main break flooded some North Philadelphia streets Thursday morning, with a crew from the Philadelphia Water Department able to shut off the water after about two hours.

The 20-inch break occurred near Fourth and Berks Streets in Kensington around 6:45 a.m., according to a water department spokesperson. The Philadelphia Fire Department also responded to the water main break.

Crews were able to shut off the water a little after 9 a.m., but the break was so severe it caused the street to buckle and damaged several cars and homes. The break also forced a temporary delay of food deliveries from Philabundance, which has a warehouse on the 300 block of Berks Street.

“I seen the water coming up out of the street and went to back up and the road gave way. I got stuck, I couldn’t back up anymore. I started going down and I climbed out the window,” resident Harry Herman told 6ABC.

It’s unclear how many residents are without water due to the break. Crews were still assessing the damage Thursday afternoon, but at least six homes will require repairs and cleaning, according to the spokesperson.