"A lot of water and a big shut down," said Joe Mickelson of Seattle Public Utilities. "We think the break is a horizontal crack in the pipe."

The 12-inch main broke just before 1 p.m. near the corner of NE 80th Street and 24th Avenue NE.

Water was gushing out at the rate of 300 gallons per minute, officials with Seattle Public Utilities said. The raging river inundated several city blocks surrounding the break, including Ravenna Avenue, NE 80th Street and 24th Avenue NE, and there appeared to be some significant street erosion in places.

"We've got a river running down Ravenna," said resident Mark Berman.

Video from Air 4 showed water up halfway to the top of cars' tires parked along the streets in the area and water rushing through several homes and their backyards.

By 2:20 p.m., the water had been shut off and firefighters helped rescue pets, including a dog trapped inside a kennel in a flooded garage and a frightened cat lost in the floodwaters.

Crews grabbed large rocks and concrete blocks from residents' landscaping to build barriers in a frantic race against the rushing floodwater while neighbors waded through soggy and mud-washed homes to help residents salvage what they could.

"I had to start lifting things off the floor because we had two feet or more," said resident Carl Potts.

The water rushed through Lynn Potthoff's house so quickly they had to break a window to let it out. She got out safely, but most of her possessions were soaked.

"Baby pictures, family pictures, first pictures, history - family history," she said.

For Potthoff, it's now a matter of drying off, airing out and saving what's left.

"But we're all fine, we're all OK. You see the spirit of the neighborhood. You see the beauty of the community and that's what you look at."

There are no reports of injuries.