SCRANTON -- A huge water main break has East Market Street shut down from the 100 block to the 400 block.
Crews were able to get the water turned off, but not before everything was covered in ice.
The water was gushing through the streets when that 12-inch pipe broke around 2:30 a.m. on Thursday.
Officials from Pennsylvania American Water said about 30 customers are affected by the break.
Water company workers think a faulty valve might be to blame for the break in that 12-inch water main.
Repairs on the water line were completed Thursday afternoon.
The slick scene quickly got the attention of neighbors. More than two dozen of them had to leave their homes after water backed up into several basements near the break, possibly damaging people's heating systems.
Emergency crews eventually shut off the power around the area, including at the apartment building where Jai Bennett was asleep until that geyser of sorts started to gush.
"I looked out the window," she said. "I was saying, 'look at all of this stuff! Oh, my goodness!'…The world is about to end right now and then I said the people asked for the snow so here it is. You got your snow, be happy. But we have to leave our homes."
Jai's landlord's family came over to help the tenants and gave Newswatch 16 at closer look at the wet mess inside.
"All of the electrical, all of the furnaces, all of the hot water heaters are going to be ruined down the basement," said building owner Dominick Scartelli.
As for the homes that were affected, some residents didn't waste any time getting the water pumped out. Some people called in contractors just to do whatever they can to save their heating system, especially with one of the coldest weekends of the month just days away.
As for who's going to foot the bill for any damage, a number of homeowners we talked with said their insurance companies are already in contact with Pennsylvania American Water to hopefully have the water company cover the cost.
The Red Cross is opening a warming center at the Elm Park United Methodist Church in Scranton at the corner of Linden Street and Jefferson Avenue for those affected by the break.
A viewer sent us this picture from the front of their yard:
