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A River Runs Through Chino Hills Following Large Water Main Break

CHINO HILLS (CBSLA)  -- A large water main break in Chino Hills Sunday had residents concerned their homes could be undermined.

Water gushed down one street and resembled a raging river.  Rancho Hills Drive was compromised in several places.

The brunt of the damage occurred in the 1700 block of Rancho Hills Drive, south of Grand Avenue and  west of the 71 Freeway. Several areas of the street buckled.

"The street looks like an earthquake hit it, but all the damage was caused by water -- a lot of it," CBS2's Cristy Fajardo reported from the scene.

The 16-inch main filled several streets with water. Shaw said as much of 2,000-3,000 feet of street was under water, damaged or compromised. It was unclear if any homes were flooded. But many homes were only accessible by foot.

The water gushed for about two hours -- it  was finally turned off by 6 p.m.

"The water was gushing almost to the bumper of a car," said Charlie Rasoul.

Another resident marveled at the amount and quickness of the water.

"It was going high and it was also going fast, it was a fast pace," said a man named Kareem.

Residents were asked to shelter in place.

Motorists were told to avoid the area and people were not able to drive in or out for hours. Work crews could not say how long it would take to repair the roads.

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