DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
A water main break yesterday at Algaroba and McCully
streets flooded apartments on Algaroba Street. Above,
Minh Ho, knee deep in water, inspected his flooded
dwelling, finding many of his possessions floating
about, including his refrigerator.

Broken water main
floods some
homes in McCully

20 people are left homeless
after their apartments are
ruined by the surging water

---

By Nelson Daranciang and Rod Antone
ndaranciang@starbulletin.com
rantone@starbulletin.com

This morning as he surveyed damage from a broken water main break in McCully, Christopher Tran, the owner of a flooded apartment complex, noted that it couldn't have come at a worse time.

Five units he owns at 2021 Algaroba Street were flooded with two and a half feet of water from the break.

Tran says his tenants still have the option of moving out, but he's still paying the mortgage on the complex and was already worried about making next month's payment.

"You know now Waikiki no more business. Me limousine driver, one week no work, stay home one week now," he said.

DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Josiah Betonio intended to walk his dog last night, but
with the street at flooded because of the broken water
main, his pooch got to go for a ride instead.

Tran said he had no flood insurance and even if the Board of Water Supply pays his claim for damages, he's worried that no one else will want to move back in.

"Next time, you want to live here again," he fretted.

His tenants were forced to evacuate last night after the main broke at about 6 p.m.

Bruce Morrow said he was going for a bike ride when he opened his front door and inadvertently flooded his home.

"I didn't know where the water was coming from, but it was all over the place," said Morrow, who lives with his wife in one of the units at the corner of Algaroba and McCully streets. "Inside there's about 212 feet of water. Everything is ruined ... the stereo; the icebox is floating on its side."

It took Board of Water Supply crews more than three hours just to shut off the main because of the force of the water.

The fire department was able to pump most of the water out of flooded units by midnight, but this morning about 2-inches of water remained in some basement apartments.

The Red Cross assisted 20 people who could not stay in their homes because of water damage last night.

Police closed McCully Street from South King to Waiola streets. Crews were repairing the damage, an effort that was expected to last all day.

A BWS spokeswoman said the break cut off water service to eight homes, two apartment buildings and 10 other customers. She said repair crews had hoped to restore their service by 10 a.m. this morning.