Creek County Church Facing Major Damages After Flooding By Burst Pipe

Because of the winter weather, pipes are bursting left and right, leaving homes and businesses flooded, including a Mannford church that suffered flooding after a pipe burst.  

Restoration crews said hundreds of people are on a waiting list now with destroyed floors and property due to pipes bursting.

Burggraf Restoration crews have been cleaning up First Baptist in Mannford since Thursday night, and water is still everywhere.

"That one-inch line that broke it's a tremendous amount of water," said Burggraf Restoration Project Manager Steve Byard.

It ruined the carpet, the offices, and flooded the sanctuary, where everything, including the pews, may need to be replaced.

"The more you look into it, the more and more you find," said Associate Pastor Zac Cunningham.

Cunningham said he discovered the problem Thursday after walking on some squishy carpet, and crews estimate up to 20,000 gallons of water could have been released, all from a little pipe bursting.

Structures all over Oklahoma are dealing with similar problems as pipes expand and defrost.

"If you're talking about a large water line, and it bursts, it doesn't take long to fill a business with water," said Andy Little with the Tulsa Fire Department.

"Most of the time you can't be prepared for everything," Steve Byard with Burggraf Restoration said.

Byard said their crews are working nonstop to clean up flooded homes and businesses, as almost 100 people are on a waiting list.

"We're getting half to a dozen commercial calls a day and, residential, 20-25 a day," he said.

Cunningham said the damage is devastating, but he's grateful for a community already supporting the church.

"It's unfortunate, but we get to see God is still at work,” Cunningham said.

The church said it has another building so it will still hold services Sunday, but it could take a month before they can restore all this damage. Cunningham said the good news is he thinks insurance will cover the cost of repairs.