By Kathryn Roundy
Water flooded through the University Mall in Orem after an eight-inch water main broke on Sunday afternoon.
Although the mall was closed, watchmen found the leak and called for help.
Patrol officers and Fire Division crews responded to the call to find water coming up through the floor and running down the hallway.
The hallway and about 50 stores were flooded with three to four inches of water, said Lt. Douglas Edwards of the Orem Department of Public Safety, in an e-mail.
City water crews turned off the main above the leak and stopped the flow of water, but the water had already caused major damage, Edwards said.
'It is hard to assess the damage,' said mall manager Rob Kallas. Most of the damage was not done to the mall itself, but to the inventory in the stores.
About 40 stores in one section of the mall were closed on Monday, he said.
Maurice''s, a clothing store, was closed on Monday while crews worked to clean up and assess the damage.
'Maurice''s is probably the worst,' said manager Andra Hancock. 'It''s damaged really bad.'
Crews worked Monday, tearing up the floors and cleaning up mud. The flood probably caused thousands of dollars worth of damage, Hancock said.
Although crews will be cleaning throughout the week, the store should be partially open by Wednesday, she said.
The flood mainly affected the stores on the North end of the mall, but the closed stores should be open today, Kallas said.
'I''ve never had anything like this happen,' he said. 'Hopefully this is a once in a lifetime experience.'