Broken water mains caused massive flooding in South Mission Beach Wednesday and created a sinkhole in the pavement large enough to disable a utility van.
SkyRanger 7 flew over the beach community just before 5 p.m. and saw floodwaters stretching for blocks along Mission Boulevard. Water was also flooding alleys branching off of the main street.
According to the San Diego Public Utilities Department (PUD), a pipe connecting two water mains burst on Bayside Lane sending water gushing through the neighborhood.
Get top local stories in San Diego delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC San Diego's News Headlines newsletter.
In some places, the water level reached nearly halfway up the wheels of passing cars. Some homes in the area had water flowing into their garages.
Some residents reported seeing a van stuck in what appeared to be a sinkhole on Bayside Lane. NBC 7 obtained pictures and video of the truck with its front end stuck in the hole.
The floodwater receded to reveal a large hole in the pavement next to a manhole. The driver told witness Rene Coker it felt like he was driving through the sand for a moment before the wheels of his van dipped below the street surface.
Water service in the area was restored by 9 a.m. Thursday and a precautionary boil water advisory issued for 25 homes in the area was lifted on Saturday morning.
The cause of the main break has yet to be determined.
