KHOU 11 saw at least three manhole covers that popped out of the ground in the Washington Corridor area, as rainstorms moved through the area Friday.
HOUSTON — As rain poured down across Houston Friday, some drivers in the Washington Corridor had to deal with open manholes.
KHOU 11 saw at least three manhole covers that popped out of the ground in the area. Two manholes were at the underpass near Studemont Street and Hicks Street. Drivers had to navigate around the open manholes and their covers which sat on the road.
On Center Street, just a few minutes away, one car got stuck in an open manhole. A white sedan had its front left wheel inside the manhole, with the manhole cover on the street right in front of it.
It happened around 12:30 p.m. Friday as heavy rain fell across the area. Houston police were out at the scene, as well as a tow truck which was helping get the car out.
The driver of the car, Glenda Williams, told KHOU 11 that it was raining really hard at the time of the incident. She was shaken up about what happened, and she said she never expected to experience something like that.
“I was driving down the street and all of a sudden, I went into the manhole. I didn’t realize that the cover was over,” Williams said. “I was trying to control myself on the rain, and it just went, I didn’t see it. I didn’t see it.”
As of Friday evening, it is still unclear what exactly caused the manhole covers to pop out of place. However, it is known that heavy rainfall can cause manhole covers to pop off due to the water and air pressure buildup in the underground system.
KHOU 11 reached out to Houston Public Works to learn what specifically happened Friday, and if there is anything that can be done to prevent it, but as of Friday evening, we were still waiting to hear back.
No injuries were reported. At last check, it appeared that all three manholes spotted by KHOU 11 were back in place by late Friday afternoon.
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