An accident produced a geyser reaching more than 70 feet into the air near Rosecrans and Midway and for several hours, city water crews couldn't find the shut-off valve.
San Diego police first got the call about the gushing hydrant around 3 a.m. Tuesday.
The driver of a semi-truck was making a right turn from Midway onto Rosecrans when she clipped a fire hydrant.
City crews had two lanes of Rosecrans shut down as they were painting the road. The driver of the semi, trying to stay in the open lane, clipped the hydrant as she made the turn sending water soaring into the air.
The water shot into the air for more than three hours covering the median along Midway and nearly reaching the gas pumps at a nearby Shell station.
It wasn't until just before 6:30 a.m. that crews were able to control the gusher.
One driver had difficulty getting his client to the airport this morning so he returned to the scene to check out the spectacle.
“It's going to be a nightmare for awhile here I thought it would be off by now. It's been going this high for about a half hour so water is a killer you know," said Steven Montague.
San Diego Police were directing traffic and said the driver of the semi or her company will likely be liable for the damages.
Local
Businesses at Midway and Rosecrans were open for customers by noon, including the Casual Male XL clothing shop, which was apparently the only shop damaged by the flooding.
The other shops in that center were either not open or not damaged and managers told us that their parking and access were not affected.