Last Sunday at around 6:30 a.m., a fire hydrant burst on 33rd Street, closing a busy stretch of M Street and flooding Starbucks, Qdoba Mexican Grill, and the apartments of some Georgetown students.
The investigation as to the cause of the broken hydrant is ongoing.
“We believe it to be that a vehicle backed into [the hydrant],” Billy D. Hayes, Director of Public Information for the D.C. Fire Department, said. “That’s what our investigation has led us to believe.”
However, Pamela Mooring, Public Affairs Coordinator for the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority, said that although there is a high probability that the broken hydrant was caused by a vehicle, the investigation has not made any definite conclusions yet.
Some believe that the flooding was due to more serious internal damage. According to Qdoba owner Richard Pawlowski, the flooding was due to a break in one of the water mains located under Starbucks.
“Somehow [the water main] burst open and basically flooded Starbucks and the overflow came in to our store and flooded our store,” said Pawlowski.
Several Georgetown students rent off-campus apartments above Starbucks and they were forced to evacuate early Sunday morning and are still currently displaced.
Brittany Skoda (MSB ‘09), who lives in an apartment directly above Starbucks, was evacuated at 6 a.m. Sunday. Her apartment has been deemed untenable due to structural water damage so she has been staying in a hotel. She does not know whether it will be days or months before she will be able to return to her apartment.
“The good news is, we are safe and fine,” Skoda wrote in an email. “You realize so many worse things could happen. We just have to deal with the inconvenience and mess at the moment.”
Hayes said that they believed the building including both Starbucks and the apartments was compromised due to the amount of water lost from the water system both underneath and inside of the structure. Although there is most likely little permanent structural damage to the building, apartment residents are still awaiting the go-ahead to return home.
“We took life safety into account and erred on the side of caution,” he said.
The broken hydrant caused major problems for commuters as well. Sunday morning, authorities closed down M Street from 34th Street to Wisconsin Avenue. Although by midday Sunday one lane was opened in each direction, traffic clogs persisted as far as the Key Bridge.
Don Cordell (GRD ‘08) was one of the many drivers caught on the Key Bridge Sunday afternoon on his way to a French study session in Lauinger Library.
“It took me about forty to forty-five minutes to get across the bridge and find parking near the school,” said Cordell. “Basically, I ended up spending more time trying to get to campus than I did on the actual project.”
Both Starbucks and Qdoba experienced extensive interior damage. An official at Starbucks said that as soon as they map out the plan for restorations, they will begin construction and open “brand-spanking-new” in approximately three months. Insurance will cover the damages incurred by the flooding. Pawlowski echoed the Starbucks officials’ sentiments about restorations and said that Qdoba hopes to reopen in two months.
Many Georgetown students were disappointed this Monday when they arrived at Qdoba anticipating the popular “Half price Hookup Monday” only to find caution tape, orange cones, and a stop sign blocking the Qdoba entrance.
“I usually come here Monday with the intent of getting about two or three burritos, and today I’m not getting that. So, I’m kind of down on my luck,” Ataefiok Etukeren (MSB ‘09) said.
Pawlowski said that Qdoba will celebrate its grand reopening by offering the Half-Price Hookup and various other promotions.
