Fire fighters had to carry residents in north London from their homes on Monday morning after a ruptured water main caused severe flooding.
Dramatic videos have been shared on social media showing torrents of water spewing out of the main and flowing down Upper Street in Islington.
The London Fire Brigade said at the height of incident the water was at a depth of two metres in the basements of properties on Charlton Place.
Around 100 people had to be evacuated, the brigade said, from around 50 homes and businesses around Angel.
They were then sent to nearby pub the Steam Passage Tavern which police said had become a “temporary displacement centre”.
Businesses in the shopping and dining district around Camden Passage were under water and the flooding also hit Colebrooke Row, where Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson owns a property.
Video taken near his £2.3million townhouse shows a torrent of water rushing towards his property, but it is not known if he was home at the time and what if any damage his house suffered.
There are not yet any official estimates of how much damage the flood caused, but some have suggested affected property will cost millions of pounds to repair.
Part of the A1 was closed to traffic and Upper Street was also shut between Angel Tube station and Islington Green.
The brigade said six fire engines and three rescue units were sent to the scene around 5am and a 460m by 150m cordon was put in place.
Around mid-morning the fire service said the water had been “isolated and had dissipated” but warned that Upper Street would remain closed to motorists.
Fire fighters pumped the water into a nearby water main.
Jeannette La, who lives on Colebrook Row told the Evening Standard that she woke up at 5.30am to a “waterfall of water coming down our stairs”.
She added: “There were four inches of water in the landing area at the bottom of the stairs and there will be loads more now.
“I heard the police upstairs and they were able to clear a little bit so I could at least get out. We grabbed the dog and left.
“At this point if my stuff is ruined there’s nothing I can do.”
Thames Water has issued an apology to customers left without water.