Neighbors of the area told CBS affiliate WWL that the water leak beneath the road started three months ago, but the Sewerage and Water Board said they have 60 days to repair all roads so the crews would not make it out to the site right away. But residents said the road only got worse while they waited for crews to arrive.

"It was like a small bayou, is what it was, running down the side of the street," said neighbor Murray Calhoun. "The side of the street had collapsed, we had holes in the street and I just thought it was a dangerous eyesore that needed to be fixed."

Similarly, in Clarksville, Tennessee, residents are inconvenienced with a water main break. Gas and water construction crews have turned off water service and closed some roads to repair a water main leak that needs a replacement valve, the Leaf Chronicle reported.

According to Andy Bryant from the National Weather Service, more rain and moderate flooding is expected to hit the Northwest coast, but it will not be as severe as the storms that just occurred. The most recent storm saturated the Portland area and caused the closure of many roads, including Highway 101, so crews could repair a massive sinkhole.

"What we saw last week was several rivers that had major or moderate flooding," Bryant said. "It affected roads, private property, homes, and we're expecting to see less of that."

Similarly, many streets in the Holmdel, New Jersey, area are undergoing repairs as well to better equip the roads for heavy rains and other inclement weather conditions. Funding for the repairs will be provided by the Neighborhood Rehabilitation Program, Collector Road Program and Annual Curb Replacement Program, the Holmdel Patch reported.

The repairs will include new draining systems and curb replacement that will better steer running water off the street into the sewer system. This will ensure standing water does not seep into the pavement, causing sinkholes and other road hazards, the source reported.

In a piece for Home Town Life, Lt. Denny Hughes from the Farmington Hills Fire Department in Michigan said the fire department is accustomed to responding to calls about water damage from frozen pipes. Plastic and copper water pipes can burst in the winter, and an eighth of an inch crack in a pipe can release 250 gallons of water into a home each day it is left untreated. Homeowners' furniture, floors, roofs and valuables can all be damaged from frozen pipes.

Therefore, Hughes recommends homeowners first locate where the master water shut off is in the house, in case of an emergency to stop water from entering the home during a leak. They also should proactively insulate their exposed piping with heat tape to prevent freezing. Leaving one faucet trickling during the cold months can also prevent water from sitting in pipes and freezing.

According to the Red Cross, another way to prevent pipes from freezing is to open cabinet doors to let warm air from inside the home circulate around the pipes to keep them warm.

The Red Cross also warns against water hazards on the road during winter months, as city water mains can freeze and crack. If inclement weather conditions make roads more dangerous, travelers should avoid driving. As a precaution, drivers should always have blankets, a flash light and other emergency tools in case they are on the road and a water hazard presents itself.

In a piece for Home Town Life, Lt. Denny Hughes from the Farmington Hills Fire Department in Michigan said the fire department is accustomed to responding to calls about water damage from frozen pipes. Plastic and copper water pipes can burst in the winter, and an eighth of an inch crack in a pipe can release 250 gallons of water into a home each day it is left untreated. Homeowners' furniture, floors, roofs and valuables can all be damaged from frozen pipes.

Therefore, Hughes recommends homeowners first locate where the master water shut off is in the house, in case of an emergency to stop water from entering the home during a leak. They also should proactively insulate their exposed piping with heat tape to prevent freezing. Leaving one faucet trickling during the cold months can also prevent water from sitting in pipes and freezing.

According to the Red Cross, another way to prevent pipes from freezing is to open cabinet doors to let warm air from inside the home circulate around the pipes to keep them warm.

The Red Cross also warns against water hazards on the road during winter months, as city water mains can freeze and crack. If inclement weather conditions make roads more dangerous, travelers should avoid driving. As a precaution, drivers should always have blankets, a flash light and other emergency tools in case they are on the road and a water hazard presents itself.

NBC New York reported senior residents of the Lafayette Seniors Living Center were the first to be removed, and crews built a shelter away from the leak to protect against the cold weather as residents waited for the gas to be shut off. Once public service gas crews arrived on scene they were able to identify the source of the leak and which valves needed repairs for the leak to stop.

"We're very lucky," Jersey City Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Stewart told the source. "If you look, we've had recent experiences here and in New York with buildings blowing up under these conditions, so we're very lucky."

Besides the living center, about six private homes were evacuated along Pacific Avenue between Ash and Grand streets. The natural gas leak was reported early in the morning, and crews worked tirelessly to correct the problem, the Jersey Journal reported.

Colette Brookes from Able Plumbing told West Salem, Wisconsin, news source WXOW that when temperatures dip below 20 degrees, pipes can freeze if they aren't properly insulated. Brookes recommends homeowners apply pipe heating tape or pipe heating cords around plumbing to keep them from freezing.

However, one tactic homeowners should avoid is putting a blow torch to a frozen pipe. Greg Daft from Kelowna Fire Prevention in British Columbia, Canada, told AM 1150 that if a homeowner finds a frozen pipe in their home they should use hair dryers or heat tape to thaw the pipe. There are various combustibles underneath many homes that could easily ignite near an open flame. Some homeowners use electrical heat traces and others might prefer a heat gun. But a heat gun can get very hot, so users should be careful.

The Oregon State Police are advising drivers to be cautious when approaching milepost 144. There will also be delays on Highway 101 as crews work to repair the sinkhole, forcing the road down to one lane of traffic. Oregon Department of Transportation crews have been monitoring the erosion around the potential sinkhole and are developing a detour for motorists to take around the hazard, Portland news source KGW reported.

Due to the heavy rainfall common to Portland and other parts of Oregon, ODOT issued guidelines to help drivers and residents avoid slides, flood and other water-related problems. Residents should make sure their cars are prepared for inclement weather, including carrying a spare tire, keeping windshield wipers in good condition and having a fully charged battery.

In addition, vehicles should be stocked with various survival tools if drivers have to pull over, such as rechargeable flashlight, cellphone, flares and extra warm clothes. Drivers are cautioned to drive slowly because heavy rains create slick surfaces and can cause obstacles in the road such as large debris or sinkholes.

“I guess we’ll wait to hear from all three,” Weis told the Palmer-Fork Patch, “and set a meeting and discuss how to rectify this.”

The township's sinkhole ordinance says that homeowners with a sinkhole on their property caused from leaking pipes, heavy rain or other water damage have 10 days to fix it. The sinkhole was first discovered in November, and has since doubled in size. Property owners are also responsible for erecting barricades around the sinkhole until it is fixed to prevent any residents from falling in or getting hurt, the source reported.

Similarly, a sinkhole was recently discovered in Huntington, West Virginia, that formed around a manhole on Eighth Street. The road will have to be closed while Sanitary Board crews can make repairs, the Herald-Dispatch reported.

Mark Deem, engineering field supervisor for the Sanitary Board, told the source that crews are currently trying to determine what caused the sinkhole. Deem guesses heavy rainfall reported earlier in the week might have contributed to the creation of the sinkhole, but it could also be a leaky pipe situation.

The Pantagraph reported the bus had 12 Irving Elementary School students on board as students were returning home from school. A portion of Oakland Avenue had already been closed to traffic so crews could fix two different sinkholes caused by a water main break. When the bus ran over the saturated pavement, the road caved in and created a sinkhole 8 feet long. At the scene, witnesses could hear the water rushing below the submerged bus tire.

When the bus hit the sinkhole, the students panicked and the bus driver calmed them down and transferred them to another bus. The school bus sank up to its frame on the driver's side when the rear wheel plunged through the pavement, the source reported.

According to WJBC radio, the bus was either stopped or moving very slowly when it hit the sinkhole. If the bus had been moving faster it could have created a larger hole. Bloomington City Manager David Hales said water crews are working on finding the exact cause of the sinkhole in hopes to implement preventative measures in the future.

Deputy City Manager Barb Adkins told the source that a recent water main break nearby created other sinkholes, and a cracked piece of a 4-foot pipe from an underground water main was found by crews at the site. Adkins said Bloomington's water system is old, and leaks and bursts are becoming more common.

A recent survey conducted by Angie's List found some home repairs that cannot be ignored included roof repairs and leaky faucets. Small issues with a roof usually does not require homeowners to replace the entire component of the home. Rather, small repairs to damaged and affected areas can prevent leaks or water damage during heavy rains or snowstorms. This sort of damage could result in a ruined roof and significant repairs throughout the home.

Leaky faucets or running toilets can produce even higher bills. The source reported leaky faucets continue to drain homeowner money with inflated water bills. The leaks can also lead to mold and water damage, which can spread throughout the home and lead to health problems and further deterioration.

According to the National Pest Management Association, homeowners should also be checking their homes for necessary repairs to ward off pests from entering their homes during the winter months. Leaking pipes can create moist areas in the home, where several species of pests tend to thrive. In addition, roofs with cracks that leak water in to the home can also provide new gateways for pests to enter.