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Flood Badly Damages Church In Wilmington

By Elizabeth Hur

WILMINGTON, Del. (CBS) - The bitter cold temperatures may be to blame for a flood that caused significant damage to a church in Wilmington, Delaware Sunday morning.

This happened at the Cathedral of Fresh Fire located at 2300 Northeast Boulevard.

A burst pipe inside the church sent water tumbling down the steps and into the street. The freezing temperatures eventually turned everything into ice, forcing fire crews to spread salt so they don't fall victim to mother nature.

"It's very heartbreaking to see, you know, the Cathedral of Fresh Fire in this condition," worshiper Tiwanna Palmer tells CBS3 Eyewitness News.

Church officials believe the bitter cold is to blame. They say the sprinkler pipe inside the church ruptured sometime Sunday morning, and when church workers arrived, they found the building flooded with more than one foot of water.

The extent of the damage is still being determined, but those associated with the church are counting their blessings, knowing it is could have been worse:

"We are just keeping in contact with our parishioners and we just thank God that no one was injured," Vaughn Watson, with the church, says. "It's just minor water damage. It could have been a lot worse, but we thank God for his protection."

Officials say right now, they are in the process of trying to find a temporary home for their Sunday services until the repair work can be completed.

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