Major flooding impacting popular metro Atlanta destinations, residences after pipes burst

ATLANTA — Parts of metro Atlanta’s infrastructure are coming apart as the blast of arctic weather continues across the state, with residents and businesses alike are feeling the harsh impacts of the sub-freezing temperatures just one day before Christmas.

Burst water pipes are now one of the major consequences being felt by places such as Delta Sky Lounge, Putt Shack, Lenox Square, Marietta Diner and residences across the metro.

A shopper at Lenox Square captured pools of water sitting on the first floor of the mall after pipes burst causing flooding, which subsequently caused the entire wing of the floor to be closed. 

Another viewer captured water spewing from the ceiling as she turned the corner of one of the hallways inside the popular shopping destination, just a day before Christmas.

Lenox Square released the following statement regarding the burst pipes and subsequent flooding:

“Due to extremely cold temperatures, a ruptured sprinkler head in Lenox Square’s ceiling leaked water onto the common area floor. For the safety of our patrons, a section of the common area was roped off by security. This swift action prevented mall patrons from traversing a potentially hazardous area and allowed housekeeping to mitigate water from spreading. Lenox Square operations staff has successfully shut off the water to the ruptured sprinkler head and cleanup efforts continue. Closed tomorrow for the observance of the Christmas holiday, Lenox Square will resume its normal operations Monday, Dec. 26.”

A traveler at the Atlanta airport sent 11Alive the following video on Instagram of the Delta Sky Lounge — with water pouring down from the ceiling onto computers at one of the lobbies.

In addition to popular places such as the ones listed above, residents experienced severe flooding from burst water pipes at The Atlantic Brookwood apartment complex located at 2035Peachtree Road NE in Atlanta.

Another resident experienced devastating flooding in Cobb County at the Galleria Manor Senior Apartments in Smyrna.

11Alive spoke with Phyllis Thompson, who lives at that complex. She said that she first heard the alarms and then describes what she saw out of her bedroom window.

“I just saw torrential water coming down,” she said. “And then I heard the bathroom puttering water, but within the course of 10 minutes, the bathroom is flooded, the kitchen is — everything is flooded. So, I don’t know what to do now.”

Daphne and Ron Tardy live at Galleria Manor and felt horrified seeing their bedroom.

“She opened the door, and it was raining cat and dog. I mean, raining! The thump she heard was that clock. The clock fell off the wall. It was right there,” Ron said.

A burst water pipe on the roof of the building caused all the damage and flooding to numerous units.

“I looked out my balcony window at my bedroom window, and I just saw torrential water coming down,” Thompson said.

Thompson’s apartment is also covered in inches of water.

“It’s coming out of the light fixtures is coming out of the carbon monoxide detectors,” Thompson said. “It’s coming out of the ceilings. It’s just coming from everywhere.”

Neighbors are helping her, but this couldn’t have happened at a worse time on Christmas Eve.

Most people who live in the apartments have renter’s insurance and are filing claims to replace damaged furniture and other items.

“It’s Christmas weekend, so I really don’t know. We’re going to contact the insurance company and see if they can be of any assistance to us and maybe have to reach out to some friends and family,” Daphne Tardy said.

City of Smyrna Fire Department said the broken pipe was isolated to the sprinkler system. Fire officials said the apartment maintenance crew are working to fix the issue.

Take a look at Thompson’s flooding issues below:

Residents in Douglas County have also experienced flooding, as a county official released a statement saying that drivers should avoid the intersection of Highway 5 and Douglas Boulevard due to residential flooding that has iced over roadways.

In the statement, officials said that drivers are experiencing “gridlock traffic” because of it.

Flooding in DeKalb County has prompted the county to issue a statement saying that residents should not call 911 for flooding inside their homes, but rather call property management or a private plumber.

11Alive has reached out to those at other popular Atlanta destinations who experienced flooding in order to obtain permission to use their videos to show ongoing flooding in the city.