A residential street was completely submerged in water after a water main burst.
At least 10ft of floodwater swept down Leabrook Road, in the market town of Wednesbury in the West Midlands.
One woman needed rescuing by emergency services as homes were evacuated and 17 cars left damaged.
Footage taken by onlookers shows gallons of water gushing from the water main, which is believed to have been damaged by workmen using a digger.
The water swamped an area spanning the size of around three football pitches as specialist teams battled to stop it spreading to a nearby electricity substation.
Hundreds of pupils from nearby schools were sent home early due to the lack of water on site.
Dave Baldwin, 44, who had filmed the incident, said boats were used to get residents to safety.
“When we got there someone else had already called the emergency services and they were already on the scene trying to stop the leak,” Mr Baldwin said. “The boat that was brought in by the emergency services were for the residents in the area, to get them to safety.
At least 10ft of floodwater swept down Leabrook Road, in the market town of Wednesbury in the West Midlands.
One woman needed rescuing by emergency services as homes were evacuated and 17 cars left damaged.
Footage taken by onlookers shows gallons of water gushing from the water main, which is believed to have been damaged by workmen using a digger.
The water swamped an area spanning the size of around three football pitches as specialist teams battled to stop it spreading to a nearby electricity substation.
Hundreds of pupils from nearby schools were sent home early due to the lack of water on site.
Dave Baldwin, 44, who had filmed the incident, said boats were used to get residents to safety.
“When we got there someone else had already called the emergency services and they were already on the scene trying to stop the leak,” Mr Baldwin said. “The boat that was brought in by the emergency services were for the residents in the area, to get them to safety.
