Deluge

Bette writes:

I drove past the Cosmopolitan / Wine world building around 4 pm on Saturday afternoon (Dec.7) and witnessed many fire and emergency vehicles and water POURING down the facade from the top floor. One window on that floor had water spraying against it on the inside (sprinklers I guess).  Any word in this eye-catching event?

Jessica Gonser from the UW News Lab has the answer:

On Dec. 7, a water pipe burst in the Cosmopolitan Apartments and flooded the parking area. The fire department and police were alerted, and promptly blocked off the surrounding area. The building is located on the corner of Fourth Avenue Northeast and Northeast 45^th Street.
Residents of both the two- and four- legged variety were forced to evacuate due to the extensive flooding. Most businesses in the area were unaffected, but Hointer was directly below the leak and employees were forced to close up shop. Austin Brown, tech lead at the men’s clothing store, said that closing early wasn’t too much trouble – but the water damage broke their heating system, and that is a problem in the Seattle winter.

Next door to Hointer, Wine World experienced minor leaks, but invited all of the displaced residents indoors to enjoy hot cocoa and wait out the cold. “We will keep making cocoa and letting people inside until everyone has a place to go,” a representative said.  Firefighters and apartment residents alike took them up on the offer.

Sarah Mathers, a resident of Cosmopolitan, shook her head. “I don’t know what I am supposed to do, and I don’t know how bad it is.”

After the waterline was turned off, the parking lot was salted in hopes the extensive pooling of water in the street and parking lot would not turn into a potentially hazardous area.

Fire trucks and caution tape rope off the flooded areas.

An older dog get tied up outside, amid the chaos

Firefighters salt the parking lot to prevent the build up of ice

Emma, 11, reaches up for hot cocoa while the residents are evacuated