A burst water main sent floods gushing across Fisher Road in Kingswood and into homes tonight.
The water also ruptured a gas main, sparking an evacuation of residents in the road which is in the New Cheltenham area.
Several families were evacuated while others were not allowed into the road when they returned home.
The incident has caused water supply problems to homes and businesses across East Bristol, including Kingswood, Pucklechurch, Mangotsfield, Oldland Common, Longwell Green, Barrs Court, Keynsham, Stockwood and Whitchurch.
There were reports tonight that the water went up to six feet deep in some homes.
Residents were being looked after in the Wesley Made-For-Ever Methodist Church Hall which was turned into an emergency centre with the Red Cross on hand to offer support.
Evacuated: Gwen and Fred Smith, pictured with one of their grand-daughters, Asha. They returned home tonight to find Fisher Road sealed off. The fire and rescue service went into their home for their dogs Poppy and Pip;
Among those evacuated was Lorraine Berry, her daughter Kloe and her elderly mother Linda Younger, who is in a wheelchair and suffers from motor neurone disease.
They were forced upstairs when the water started coming in and were helped to safety by the emergency services.
Mrs Berry said that she had called South Gloucestershire Council about overflowing drains in Fisher Road at the start of the week and was told they had been inspected and there was no problem.
Another evacuee was Heidi Beachem who fled with her dog and her five-week-old kittens in a cardboard box.
A spokesman for Bristol Water said at 9pm tonight: “The damaged main has been isolated and water supplies to some of the affected properties have been rezoned and restored.
“Other utility services have also been damaged and the repair to our main cannot proceed until these services have been isolated. We are currently looking to provide alternative water supplies (water tankers/bowsers).”
