A water main ruptured Tuesday morning causing immediate flooding of the east parking lot at the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command.
During the 40 minutes it took to stop the leak, nearly 1 million gallons of water were spilled, according to Col. Walter Seifried, deputy chief of staff engineer at USASMDC/ARSTRAT.
"The water ejected many cubic yards of dirt and sand, plugging the storm drain, which resulted in areas of deep flooding in the parking lot," Seifried said. "I was, however, very pleased by the team response and the willingness of all to help.
"For example, spontaneously, several people - SMDC employees, contractors and military police - helped car owners by wading through the water to move vehicles," Seifried said. "Post security helped with traffic redirection and barricades, and the contractors kept us apprised of all steps being taken."
Even with the cooperation and quick response time of all involved, five or six cars received water damage.
The Directorate of Public Works has already begun repairs to the water line. Once these repairs are done, work will begin on the driveway and parking lot.
"Barriers are in place and areas of the lot will be unavailable until cleaned or repaired," Seifried said. "In addition, the parking lot lights will remain inoperative until the hole can be filled, which will require vigilance and safety on the part of employees. Otherwise, operations in the building are not impacted by the work outside."
Carrie.Ford@smdc.army.mil
Social Sharing