300 homes in Queens flooded with waste after massive sewage spill

SOUTH JAMAICA, Queens (WPVI) -- Three hundred homes in Queens are flooded with waste after a massive underground sewage spill.

The city's Department of Environmental Protection is now trying to locate the source of the problem and drain people's basements in South Jamaica.

The FDNY is also on the scene helping out, and the Red Cross is finding people places to stay.

The trouble began on Inwood Street at dawn on Saturday morning. Homeowners said they had to wait more than six hours to get help from the city.

It is unclear what caused the problem, but one theory is household grease that congealed in the colder temperatures.

Mayor de Blasio tweeted that New York City DEP workers are on-site to make the necessary repairs and that they brought more pumping equipment to assist with the cleanup.