Water main break floods Skokie neighborhood. 'I thought, 'Holy sh—, Armageddon!'

A river's worth of water was flowing down Skokie resident Danira Dizdarevic's street when she stepped outside before dawn to go to the gym.

"I thought, 'Holy sh—, Armageddon!'" she said.

Several other residents shared similar stories Friday morning after a large water main break at East Prairie Road and Emerson Street, in the eastern part of the suburb, lowered water pressure across the village.

The city implemented a boil order, closed schools and roads near the water main break — which was still flowing late Friday morning. Several residents said they were staying at home today to look after their children. Others were busy clearing out ice that had flooded their garages, driveways and sidewalks.

Dizdarevic's home on Ewing Street was mostly undamaged. About 6 inches of water entered the garage, soaking much of it before freezing over. The water did not spill into her newly refinished basement. She and her husband made coffee and sat near their two sump pumps — to make sure they kept running.

The water began subsiding after 7 a.m., when city crews removed most of the neighborhood's sewer covers. But water was still gushing from the site of the water main break early in the afternoon.

Many residents said they were concerned about what happens next. The Chicago area is expecting more freezing weather and snow.

Dizdarevic's husband, Elvir Dizdarevic, was using a pick axe to clear street drains.

"I'm so afraid because it's so cold," Elvir Dizdarevic said. "They shut down the water. What is going to happen with the pipes in the house, because there is no flow."

Village officials said the water main break happened about 5:15 a.m. Friday. Several residents told the Sun-Times that city crews had shut down the water the night before, and had posted flyers announcing work on the water main.

Many residents said they suspected something had gone wrong with the project. But city officials had not said anything about the cause as of Friday morning.

All Skokie-Morton Grove District 69 schools were closed Friday because of the emergency, the district’s website stated. Niles West and North High Schools in District 219 were pivoting to e-learning days as a result of the main break.

A full list of school closures can be found on the Emergency Closing Center's website.

McCormick Boulevard is closed between Golf Road and Dempster Street, and East Prairie Road is closed between Church Street and Golf Road, authorities said.

The boil order was issued hours after the main break. Just before 10:30 a.m., the order extended to a section of Evanston. It wasn’t immediately known how many residents were affected.

Village officials urged residents to avoid non-essential tap water use and boil all water for five minutes or before drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice. Residents can also use bottled water as a substitute.