Water main break floods apartment complex units

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Repairs are underway after a 24-inch reclaimed water pipe broke Wednesday afternoon near International Drive and flooded nearby homes. 

Water was shooting from the ground for hours – turning the sidewalk into a creek and swamping ground units in an apartment complex. 

“It’s all over the whole area,” Nykia Burdine said about the flooding. 

Officials shut down a few lanes of International Drive near Meadow Bend Loop while crews worked. 
Fire crews say 20 units in the building closest to the pipe break were evacuated as a precaution, and four ground level units flooded. Officials decided to turn the power off to the building.  

“It’s very hot inside because the AC is down… there’s no electricity,” said Andrea Gatmaitan, who lives on the second floor. 

Orange County Utilities says it appears construction crews working on something unrelated to the pipes may have caused the break. 

Repairs are expected to be finished sometime Thursday. Pumps were brought in Wednesday night to help clean up the water.