SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Part of a city was left reeling after a massive water main break. It forced roads to close and caused a path of damage in Scranton’s Hill section.

That water main break caused quite a scene. Repairs crews worked under difficult conditions as water gushed above ground and turned into ice.

Water rushed along a sidewalk on the 900 block of Madison Avenue in Scranton. It cascaded through one backyard, a neighboring business, and a few blocks down Ash Street.

Pennsylvania American Water says a 16 inch main snapped late Saturday morning. The pipe dates back to 1891.

Crews were on the scene quickly, but it took hours to stop the flow of water that soon turned into ice.

“Very, very cold, though, so we’ll be working with PAWC, working to make sure that these roads, as this water turns to ice, get salted as best we can,” Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti (D) said.

Protecting your home’s plumbing

One of the many people impacted is John Butler, who owns Butler Casket Company on Ash Street.

“This has to be remedied as quickly as possible. So, I mean, I got to be open on Monday morning, so I’ve got my hands full,” Butler Casket Company Owner John Butler said.

The water seeped in on all sides of Butler’s business. He said he sped to the building after a friend alerted him.

“He said, ‘you got a river in your front yard, and it’s coming around your building.’ He said, ‘I went around the block and I went through the alley.’ He said, ‘it’s coming through the front of your building, the back of your building.’ Apparently, we’re dead center, you know, with it streaming the yards up on Madison Avenue,” Butler explained.

Luckily, none of Butler’s inventory was damaged, but he will have to work to get the water out by his regular business hours. However, he chose to look on the bright side.

“Hey, it could always be worse. Look at it that way, and let it go with that,” Butler added.

Pennsylvania American Water said roughly 55 customers were without water service Saturday night. A spokesperson expected the repairs to be completed by six o’clock Sunday morning.

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to 28/22 News.