Chatham streets flooded from water main break: 'You need a boat to go across'

Residents in the East Chatham neighborhood are concerned after a water main break occurred Wednesday afternoon.

Now, Ingleside Avenue is flooded and slowing down traffic.

The water main break happened just before 2 p.m.

At one point, residents couldn't get down 83rd Street without splashing anything nearby. 

Jabari White said he called the water department a few times before conditions worsened.

"He told me 3:30, I said ok they're not here yet, give them 15 more minutes. I call back, cut the phones off, had to leave a voicemail," said White.

City workers added road blocks just before 6 p.m. At the time, the entire 8200 block of Ingleside was filled with water, and nearby alleys were flooded as well.

One man was even clinging to a fence to avoid his feet being drenched.

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Another guy had no choice but to maneuver through the mess. 

"You can't get in the house, you need a boat to go across," said resident Steve Wilson.

Crews worked through the evening to locate the broken line.

Water was shut off from 81st to 83rd street in the meantime.