LAKE OSWEGO, Ore. (KOIN) — After a week of heavy rain, the temperature in Portland reached 58 degrees on November 6, 2023, with about three-quarters of an inch of rain throughout the day. That morning, Gary Vuchinich and his wife, both in their 70s, were at their home in Lake Oswego.
Around 9 a.m., he noticed water rushing and pooling outside his home. He soon discovered water spewing from the pavement and shooting up out of the city’s storm drain. The maintenance team at their housing community called the City of Lake Oswego at 9:13 a.m. and got no answer. He said they called again at 9:17 a.m. to report the water main break.
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Records obtained by KOIN 6 News show the City of Lake Oswego said they got to the site by 10 a.m., then began “throttling” the water around 10:20 a.m.
The broken water main was permanently patched 3 hours later. However, by 11 a.m. Vuchinich said his home was already ruined. During the 4 hours before the water main was repaired, thousands of gallons of water gushed from the ground — pouring down the hill and into his home. The damage exceeded $100,000.