A heartbroken family whose home was flooded when a water main burst say the deluge has caused at least £70,000 of damage to their property.
The Lanzas were among several householders affected when the main erupted in Queniborough on Monday afternoon.
Many say they are angry it took water company Severn Trent Water 90 minutes to switch off the main and start repairs.
They are also concerned that Main Street was not closed sooner to prevent vehicles causing "tidal waves''.
Severn Trent Water is facing substantial insurance claims after company assessors visited the homes of people affected by the burst.
Dozens of properties were affected to differing degrees as the main erupted, lifting the road surface near butcher's shop Clarkes Queniborough shortly after 3.30pm.
The water was up to 3ft deep in places and several houses, garages and gardens were flooded.
Roger and Rachael Lanza's five-bedroom home in Coppice Lane was among the worst affected.
Mother-of-three Rachael choked back tears as she told how her dream home was ruined by 2ft of water.
She said: "I just could not believe it. Water ran in from everywhere, ruining our antique furniture, carpets and all the precious items we had on the ground floor.
"We have spent so much time getting our home right, only for this to happen."
Rachael, who has a 10-week old daughter, Siena, said: "So much of what we own has been ruined."
Husband Roger said: "I am angry that it took Severn Trent so long to get here to do something. If they had shut the water off quicker I am positive the damage would not have been so bad.
"What made it worse was that vehicles were allowed on to Main Street and they caused a bigger tidal wave which swept into our home and other properties."
Roger said he would be making a claim against the water company.
"I have spoken with our own assessors and we estimate the amount of the damage is between £70,000 and £100,000," he said.
Roger said he would like to thank neighbours who tried to protect the house.
The Lanza family have been forced to move out of their home. Relatives are staying there in their absence.
Neighbour Peter Branscombe, 60, said the deluge was "frightening".
He said: "I walked down Coppice Lane towards Main Street and people were wading up to their knees," he said.
"I ran back into my bungalow as vehicles were causing bow waves and put all my electrical goods on tables.
"Fortunately, the water didn't reach my home. I was able to take in Rachael and the kids and give them some food until they went to stay with relatives. I called the emergency services. Everyone is angry that it took so long for Severn Trent to shut off the water."
Clarkes Queniborough owner Ian Clarke said: "The road twisted up like you see in an earthquake and a tremendous torrent swept down the road."
Main Street is likely to remain closed to through traffic until Monday.
A Severn Trent Water spokeswoman said its team got to the incident as quickly as it could, arriving on scene at 5.30pm following a call at about 4pm.
She said: "We worked to shut off the burst pipe and reroute water around our network, so customers' supply was restored before 7pm.''
The team worked throughout yesterday to re-lay the road surface after fixing the main.
She said loss adjusters had visited homes that had been affected, and it was too early to say how many claims for compensation it would receive.
"We'd like to thank the community for their patience," she added.
The spokeswoman said Severn Trent liaised with Leicestershire County Council to close the road as soon as possible. A fire engine was also parked across the road to halt traffic.
Leicestershire police said it was not responsible for closing the road, but had attended and liaised with the county council over the road closure.
