Collapsed Pipe Floods Homewood Street, Costly Repairs Ahead

Overnight storms caused a pipe collapse near Rosedale Drive, leading to flooding and a repair bill of up to $100,000.

Mar. 12, 2026 at 10:33pm

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A collapsed pipe near Rosedale Drive in Homewood, Alabama has caused significant flooding in the area after overnight storms. The city has pumped out the standing water, but the damaged pipe will require repairs estimated to cost between $75,000 and $100,000. The repairs are scheduled to be completed within the next month, and the city has set up detours for drivers to navigate around the flooded section of the road.

Why it matters

Pipe collapses and the resulting flooding can pose safety risks to drivers and pedestrians, as well as cause property damage. The high cost of the repairs also puts a strain on the city's infrastructure budget, which could impact other planned projects or maintenance. This incident highlights the ongoing challenges cities face in maintaining aging underground utilities.

The details

According to Homewood City Manager Cale Smith, the collapsed pipe near Rosedale Drive and 18th Street caused water to pool in the road after the overnight storms. The city has since manually pumped out the water, but the damaged pipe will still need to be repaired. Smith estimates the repair budget to be between $75,000 and $100,000, and the work is scheduled to be completed within the next month.

  • Overnight storms on March 11, 2026 caused the pipe collapse and flooding.
  • The city has pumped out the standing water since the initial flooding.
  • Repairs to the damaged pipe are scheduled to be completed within the next month.

The players

Cale Smith

Homewood City Manager, responsible for overseeing the city's response and repair efforts.

Homewood

The city in Alabama where the pipe collapse and flooding occurred.

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What they’re saying

“There's nowhere for the water to go because of the collapsed pipe, it can get through slowly. They've pumped out the water downstream.”

— Cale Smith, Homewood City Manager

“We've had barricades put out. There's a detour route. There are other options to get around. We certainly don't want to encourage people to drive through the standing water, so they could turn left and navigate through downtown.”

— Cale Smith, Homewood City Manager

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the ongoing challenges cities face in maintaining aging underground infrastructure, as pipe collapses and the resulting flooding can pose safety risks and require significant financial resources to repair. The high cost of the Homewood repairs underscores the need for proactive infrastructure planning and investment to prevent such issues in the future.