A large water main erupted in Lynn, Massachusetts, Tuesday morning.
The water main break occurred in the area of Ocean Street and Route 1A, and video from the scene showed a geyser of water shooting into the air.
Almost everything that got splashed on froze over. Icicles were seen hanging from a light post and the roof of a café.
The Massachusetts Water Resource Authority said an air valve burst earlier Tuesday morning, causes water to shoot up several stories high for several hours.
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"I woke up thinking it was a bus at the red light but after about maybe three minutes, I said the light had to turn green," said Paul Reardon, a Lynn resident. "I looked out my window and there was a 50-foot geyser."
David Shalvoy owns The Christopher's Café next to where the water main break happened.
"I've never seen anything like that, and it was literally right in front of the shop," said Shalvoy. "The water shot over the building and literally iced up the other side, including the car in the backstreet."
Water gushed pit and ran down the road for hours, with neighbors fearing the worst.
"I said, 'Wow, this is dangerous,' you know? Because I'm worried about sinkholes, etc. Do you know somebody sliding, hitting a car or whatever the case may be. You know the obvious," said Reardon.
Once the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority crews arrived, they shut the water off and got the "geyser" under control.
"The valve was isolated, and the pipe was dewatered and the leak stopped," explained Sean Navin, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Water resource Authority. "And we'll be assessing repairs to do in the near term to be able to bring that pipe back online."
Water service wasn't interrupted for the homes and businesses in the area.
The crews salted and sanded the roads and sidewalks. Engineers will be looking at the pipe and will put an air valve back on.
