The Hey Hey Bar & Grill's owner Susan Gall says Bruck Street turned into a river on Saturday, just before the record-breaking winter storm hit.
Gall described how a water main broke, freezing over the street and trapping a Nissan sedan and a pickup truck in nearly a foot of ice on Bruck Street and the alley behind the historic German Village watering hole. Both cars are still there and the street is closed, but Gall has kept her bar open to any patrons willing to brave the elements for a drink.
"One of the guys got his fishing pole out and took pictures of him with a fishing rod," Gall said.
Gall said the sedan's owner has tried to remove the car, with no luck. She said bar patrons are now placing bets on when the car may be freed from its icy perch.
Columbus is still digging itself out from last weekend's record-breaking winter storm as the city addresses more than 60 water main breaks that have flooded and froze over roads, like Bruck Street. Water main breaks have been reported from German Village to Clintonville to the Hilltop neighborhood in west Columbus.
Jennifer Barkley, a Mount Carmel Grove City employee, has been stuck in her home since Tuesday, when a water main broke, flooding Wheatland Avenue.
"The water was flowing into the street ever since Tuesday morning when I got home from work. I've seen a salt truck, a tow truck and an ambulance all get stuck on this road," Barkley said.
City crews finally arrived on Friday with excavators to dig out Barkley's street. Barkley said it was good timing as she is about to run out of food for herself and her two dogs.
Barkley said she thinks the city has done a poor job addressing the ice paralyzing her neighborhood. She tried messaging 311 and even Mayor Andrew Ginther's office to get the issue fixed.
"It's disappointing. I've lived in Columbus since 2022. Nothing like this has ever happened, obviously, but the fact that the water was running solid for almost three days in the street is not a good look for the city to me," Barkley said.
Ginther also showed up on Friday to talk to reporters about the sheer number of water main breaks the city is trying to address. Ginther urges residents to contact 311 if a water main break happens.
"We're gonna be working real hard. Public service, power and water, to help make sure that our neighbors have access to get in and out of their neighborhood," Ginther said.
Ginther said this will be an ongoing battle for the city as freezing temperatures continue. He expects more breaks may happen in the coming days.
Ginther said he understands the frustration of residents like Barkley and for city staff that want to get these issues fixed. He said equipment like the excavators carry extra costs with them, but the city is ready to invest in unprecedented resources.
"We need this city to be open for business and for kids to get to school and people to get what they need. We're going to spend what it takes," Ginther said.
Columbus Water Assistant Administrator Brian Haemmerle said there are only six crews working on the water main breaks around the city. He said addressing water main breaks is like a game of whack-a-mole.
"In my 20 year career here at the city, this is one of the worst I've seen," Haemmerle said.
Haemmerle said the city prioritizes water main breaks if a neighborhood loses water and if there is damage to property. He said crews are scheduled on other water main breaks as they happen, but it is time consuming to completely fix them because the city has to work with utilities to avoid gas lines.
Haemmerle estimated the pipes under Wheatland Avenue date back to the 1950s. He said the city spends between $30 million and $40 million working on grid main pipes that feed neighborhoods.
When it comes to addressing the rest of the pipes, Haemmerle said the city relies on a statistical model that tells crews where water main breaks are happening and how to best prioritize pipe replacement.
He said there are also city programs that try to replace lead and copper pipes. He said roughly 50,000 and 60,000 copper and lead service lines remain.
"We have to continue to invest in our infrastructure, especially on our water mains and our grid mains and our service lines," Haemmerle said.
