Major Midtown water main break cracks roadway, disrupts Black Friday shopping

A massive water main break in Midtown sparked a rapid deluge of water that disturbed thousands of Black Friday shoppers in the afternoon, FDNY confirmed.

Water gushed from cracked concrete in the roadway on West 37th Street and 7th Avenue, creating a geyser. The incident was reported at around 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 24, prompting an array of firefighters rushing to the scene.

Photo by Dean Moses

The flood projected in all directions, sending two large streams rushing down all the way to 8th Avenue. Black Friday shoppers were forced to either divert completely or have them leaping over the torrent — some with shopping bags still in hand.

Photo by Dean Moses

Photo by Dean Moses

Authorities asked the public to stay clear of the area as firefighters attempt to contain the murky surge. According to NYC Environmental Protection crew members were able to isolate the leak and shut the water off, allowing the flooding to subside. The agency also reported that those living nearby did not suffer water outages.

Repairs are currently under way.

Photo by Dean Moses

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