We may not have water in the river, but we sure did on 61st Street. In the middle of a drought, Tulsa experienced flash flooding.
Water pressure is down considerably in parts of Tulsa, and some customers are out of water. This after a water line break on 61st Street east of Memorial turned the roadway into rapids. The 48-inch line broke at 92nd East Avenue around 9:30 this morning.
The water from the four foot diameter line flooded a day car center and children had to be evacuated until the water levels dropped. No one was hurt. Tulsa Transit sent buses to house the children and other people forced out into the cold.
NEWS RELEASE FROM THE CITY:
A 48-inch transmission waterline broke this morning just after 9:30 a.m. on East 61st Street at approximately South 92nd East Avenue. 61st Street between South Memorial Drive and South Mingo Road is closed until further notice.
Between 25 and 30 Water & Sewer Department personnel were called to this emergency situation. At 10:48 a.m., crews were able to isolate the break by shutting valves to the line. Within a few hours, water pressure will return to customers affected by the break. Crews are digging down to the waterline to investigate the cause of the break.
The waterline break caused flooding of the street and immediate area. Tulsa Fire Department was at the scene to help evacuate several homes and businesses.