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SUNNY Temp: 89 °F Wind: NNW at 12 mph Tuesday, June 3, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend May 30, 2003 Broken line floods area By ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune A ruptured water main under Crater Lake Avenue Thursday evening buckled the road, sent a flood of water across yards toward homes, and set crews scrambling to repair and reopen the busy street. "I looked out to see the road just open up and water come out," said Terry Parnell, who lives near the intersection of Crater Lake and Covina avenues. The broken pipe, which gave out at about 4:20 p.m., was directly in front of his driveway. "I didn’t believe it. There was a two-and-a-half-foot wave coming at me," he said. By dragging some railroad ties that edge his driveway he was able to divert the water away from his home, but his garage flooded. When the water receded, silt, gravel and rocks that he estimated weighed as much as 8 pounds littered his driveway and lawn. Advertisement Neighbors gathered in his driveway to watch crews gear up for an emergency repair project. The problem started when a 14-inch water main owned by the Medford Water Commission broke, said Wayne Pace, superintendent of the city’s Public Works Department operations division. "It flooded the area and buckled the street. We will have to rebuild it tonight, so it can reopen tomorrow," he said. Crater Lake Avenue was closed between Covina and Grand avenues during the deluge and repairs. Workers from the city, the water commission, construction company LTM Inc., and other utilities cracked through the damaged asphalt, pumped out water and marked the location of other utilities in preparation for late-night construction. Water service was interrupted to a handful of homes adjacent to the broken main, Pace said. Jenny LaVia’s home at the corner of Covina and Crater Lake avenues had no water coming from the faucets, but plenty pooled in a back bedroom and bathroom. "It was pretty squishy when I walked in there," she said. She said she had gone outside to ask her husband about where to plant some new landscape plants when she saw the road rise up and water come out. She ran inside to call 911, where operators were inundated with calls about the problem. She carried items she didn’t want soaked into the living room, which stayed dry, and tried to calm her disgruntled cats, who didn’t like the water or the construction chaos, she said. Just down Covina Avenue, Hector Gonzalez had to pull out decorative concrete blocks he had put in his yard recently because he feared they would hold back the water and force it under his home. "There was a lot of water. It was horrible, but we’re all OK," he said as he waded through the several inches of water that pooled in his carport after the flood had passed. His lawn was flattened by the force of the water and the contents of a recycling bin scattered. Pace said the city and the water commission likely will share the costs of repairs. The water commission’s insurance company will reimburse property owners for damage to their homes, he said. Reach reporter Anita Burke at 776-4459, or e-mail [email protected] . Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times