A rush of water under the Wheaton Safeway ripped through the building’s electrical system Wednesday, knocking out power, flooding the basement, and forcing more than 1,000 residents from their homes.
What started as a routine service call on Georgia Avenue in Montgomery County turned into a massive all-day emergency Dec. 3, when a major water break flooded the building’s underground electrical and mechanical rooms, killed power to two high-rises, shut down the grocery store, and forced Montgomery County officials to condemn the entire complex, displacing hundreds.
Fire officials first reported trouble just after noon at the Safeway near Reedie Drive. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue units found “five feet of water in [the] basement” at 11201 Georgia Avenue, with power to the building cut as a safety measure, Pete Piringer said Wednesday…