PORTLAND, Ore. — Shoppers waded through inches of water at Pioneer Place Mall in Portland on Sunday night after freezing temperatures led to a burst pipe.
Cell phone video from people on scene shows water pouring into stores, possibly damaging clothes, shoes and other items on display.
Twixx Williams was entering Pioneer Place to shop for headphones, and quickly realized something was wrong.
"I just went into the mall and it was just flooded everywhere," he said. "So I just looked to the right and saw this water dripping down everywhere on everything in the store, so I was just like wow. I pulled out my phone and recorded a video because I was like someone has to see this."
Portland Fire and Rescue responded to the scene and assisted employees in shutting off the water. The agency told KGW that a construction project left a pipe exposed to the frigid temperatures, causing it to rupture.
Portland International Airport (PDX) also had two pipes burst overnight, flooding the ticket lobby and other locations at PDX.
"We have been working to clean the impacted areas," a PDX spokesperson told KGW on Sunday afternoon. "This did not impact passenger travel and it has been largely cleaned up at this time."
How to prevent frozen pipes
The American Red Cross shared some tips on how to avoid busted pipes during freezing temperatures:
- Keep garage doors closed if there are water supply lines in the garage.
- Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals up out of the reach of children.
- When the weather is very cold outside, let the cold water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes. Running water through the pipe - even at a trickle - helps prevent pipes from freezing.
- Keep the thermostat set to the same temperature both during the day and at night. By temporarily suspending the use of lower nighttime temperatures, you may incur a higher heating bill, but you can prevent a much more costly repair job if pipes freeze and burst.
- If you will be going away during cold weather, leave the heat on in your home, set to a temperature no lower than 55° F.
