Frozen pipes are causing major problems for homes, businesses and schools throughout the area.
One person affected was Jenny Lopez of the Frankford section of the city.
“I was sitting here watching TV and all of a sudden the whole ceiling came down,” she said.
Lopez says a torrent of water rushed into her home after, causing thousands of dollars-worth of damage.
“I thought the ceiling was all going to come caving in,” Lopez said.
The sudden rush was caused by frozen pipes that burst inside her home. She called plumber Miguel Martinez who says he’s received 34 calls in the past two days.
“The flooded basements, the burst pipes, the radiators, it’s crazy,” Martinez said. “The temperatures are just too much.”
Martinez says pipes first freeze in the basement and then move upward.
“A couple dollars, 15 to 20 bucks in insulation, maybe plug in a little space heater in the coldest room in the house, will save you thousands and thousands of dollars in damages,” he said.
A frozen pipe also burst at Abington Senior High School on Wednesday, forcing more than 1700 students to evacuate.
Several apartment complexes, including the Avenel Apartment Complex in North Wales, Pennsylvania, also had to be evacuated due to water main breaks caused by the bitter cold.
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