Kennewick water main break floods streets near Columbia Center mall
A 10-inch water main burst Wednesday, sending water bubbling onto a busy Kennewick street.
Water started pooling near the intersection of Center Parkway and Gage Boulevard around 4 p.m.
Police closed the intersection behind Columbia Center mall, and crews were working to clear the water away Wednesday afternoon. One lane of the roundabout was opened at 5 a.m. Thursday.
City officials are not sure what caused the break.
The water threatened to flood several businesses and stores in the area.
The rising water shocked Kim Cruz of Kennewick who was sitting at Back Street Hair Design and heard Raelene Wooley say there was a lake outside.
“My car just happened to be in the middle of the lake,” Cruz said. “I decided I needed to move it. We took my sandals off, put clear plastic bags on my feet, walked through the water, and I drove the car to another place.”
She was waiting for her husband to come pick her up because the roads were shut down.
This story was originally published September 1, 2021 at 8:50 PM.