Authorities responded to significant flooding in the area of California and Parker streets in Berkeley on Friday afternoon after what has been reported to be a water main breakage.
Crews from EBMUD and the Berkeley Fire Department were on scene from around 5 p.m. working to turn off the water supply in the area. Communications between authorities heard on the scanner suggested Public Works was asked to bring sandbags.
The breakage happened around 4:40 p.m. at the intersection of Parker and Sacramento streets, according to KTVU.
It is not known yet whether there was damage to property or if water supply has been affected for any EBMUD customers.
Calls to EBMUD had not been returned at press time.
Several TV helicopters rushed to the scene alerting many Berkeley residents to the fact there was an incident. Some locals were unimpressed with the presence of the choppers. “It’s really noisy here as well as soggy,” wrote Karen Sternhell Rosenberg on Berkeleyside’s Facebook page, where we broke the story at 4:45 p.m.
By around 6:30 p.m., the flooding was under control and crews were packing up to leave, reports Berkeleyside’s Siciliana Trevino, who was on the scene. “I stopped by to check on my grandmother who lives round the corner. She said kids were playing in the water as residents used the opportunity to water their lawns,” Trevino said.
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