Broward courthouse flooded again

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (WSVN) -- A flood of trouble is causing chaos at the Broward County courthouse once again.

A water pipe broke on the seventh floor Friday morning, sending water gushing through a ceiling and forcing more than a dozen workers to evacuate their offices, including those in the State Attorney's Office.

The water even cascaded down elevator shafts in the building, shutting down five lifts.

Workers had to use umbrellas to protect themselves from the dripping water and falling debris.

The east wing and the north side of courthouse, including criminal courts, were disrupted, but at least the upcoming Fourth of July holiday weekend will give crews extra time to clean up.

The aging courthouse has dealt with flooding problems in the recent past. Last year, the same pipe had burst, causing a similar problem. "It's an old building," said Broward County Chief Judge Victor Toben. "It's not unanticipated, so it's just to be taken in stride: shut the water off, see what the damage is, and let's see where we go from here."

Broward County commissioners have already decided to construct a new courthouse, but that will not happen until 2014.

Though the burst occurred in a fresh water pipe, a health department crew will inspect the area of damage to see if the water flushed out an asbestos.

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