A broken pipe flooded a medical center in Amarillo that includes Northwest Surgical Hospital, part of the Northwest Texas Healthcare group, on Tuesday afternoon, forcing the evacuation of about 200 people. A BSA medical clinic in the same building was also affected, raising questions about how long patients could face disruptions.

The Amarillo Fire Department was dispatched at 4:09 p.m. to a fire alarm at 3501 S. Soncy Road. Crews arrived eight minutes later to find water pouring from the entrance, and six inches of standing water spread across the 150,000-square-foot facility.

Inside, firefighters saw ceiling tiles beginning to sag from water damage and quickly covered medical equipment with tarps to prevent possible damage. The flooding was traced to a two-inch line that had broken ben

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