Clean-up continues in flooded Georgetown
Crews will be back at the Washington Harbour Complex in Georgetown today, cleaning up the mess left behind by Monday’s massive flooding.
Tuesday evening, ABC7 obtained exclusive pictures from inside the buildings. The images show high-end restaurants in ruin, smothered with layers of thick muck, and rooms and hallways caked with slimy wet mud (see gallery).
Throughout the day crews continued to pump water out of the complex. Workers described conditions inside much like those outside--full of sludge and dead fish. ABC7 News has learned that the flooding along the Georgetown waterfront Monday may have been caused by human error.
Some came here at 7 a.m. Tuesday morning to assist with the cleanup and had no hopes of leaving before 7 a.m. tomorrow morning. Of the parking lot's three levels, two remained under water this evening. The hope was to have it dried out by Friday at the earliest.
Source: Georgetown flooding caused by human error
A utility worker tells ABC7 that whoever was supposed to raise the flood panels, which are operated by hydraulics, did not do it correctly.
The worker says the switcher for the Washington Harbour is ruined and it could be some time before the power is restored.
The property owners, MRP Realty Services, are responsible for the flood walls. ABC7’s calls to the owners have not been returned.
Hundreds of people were evacuated Monday after the Washington Harbour Shopping Plaza on the Georgetown waterfront flooded. The flooding submerged chairs and tables at restaurants and poured into an underground parking garage. Major property damage is expected but immediate estimates were not available.
The water, which was waist deep inside some restaurants, poured in after the flood walls weren’t put in place, residents said.
On Tuesday, dozens of giant pumps were pumping tens of thousands of gallons of muddy water from the waterfront property.
Tom Prescott, of Farmers & Fishers restaurant, can’t imagine that restaurants will be open by what should be a busy Easter weekend.
"It doesn't look like it would be a quick turnaround, I'll tell you that,” Prescott said.
Tenants, who live in the top floors, on Tuesday hadn’t returned to their homes. And employees of several law firms in the area are also out of work because there’s no power.
“They're doing everything possible to restore power to the building but I don't think anyone knows for sure how long that will take,” said attorney Martin Nover.
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