Los Angeles Department of Water and Power crews raced to repair a ruptured main that turned streets in West Hollywood into raging rivers that opened sinkholes, pushed around cars and flooded garages while shifting massive chunks of asphalt and concrete slabs.
Workers toiled round the clock using backhoes to expose the broken section of the circa 1916, riveted-steel 36-inches-wide trunk line and set about removing and then replacing the pipe, which unleashed a torrent of water after breaking open around 3 a.m. Thursday on Sunset at Holloway Drive.
The new section of pipe arrived Friday morning and officials told reporters at the scene the temporary repair could be complete and Sunset Boulevard reopened by the end of the coming weekend, but on Friday, Sunset Boulevard remained closed along stretch between Sherburne Drive and San Vicente Boulevard.
Meanwhile, LADWP claims specialists remained on site assisting affected residents.
Department staff was at 1010 Palm Ave. and would remain until 7 p.m. Friday to respond to questions about property damage and claims, Sheri Lunn, West Hollywood’s public information officer, told City News Service in an email.
Customers with questions may call 1-800-DIAL-DWP. Claims information is available at www.LADWP.com/Claims.
A number of vehicles were visibly damaged and others were flooded nearly to their roofs in subterranean parking.
Some businesses and at least one residence had water and debris pushed into their premises.
One of the affected businesses was the Dialog Cafe at the corner of Palm Avenue and Holloway Drive, just downhill from the rupture and not far from a second smaller sinkhole in the sidewalk on Palm that two people fell into on Thursday.
Both of those victims were helped out by bystanders and appeared to be OK.
The Dialog Cafe owner put water and coffee out for first responders as efforts to get the usually bustling section of the Sunset Strip back to normal continued.
An estimated 195,000 gallons of water still needed to be removed as of 9:30 p.m. Thursday, Lunn wrote
“LADWP crews will continue to work around the clock until the pipe is repaired and traffic can be safely opened.”
Live television broadcasts and video showed water roaring downhill from Sunset Boulevard at Holloway Drive to Santa Monica Boulevard and into the Metro bus yard on Santa Monica Boulevard near San Vicente Boulevard.
“This is a big break,” Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Aaron Katon told City News Service. “We have a lot of old pipes in this area. But a break this big is exceedingly rare.”
Two people fell into a sinkhole that collapsed the sidewalk on Palm Avenue just south of Sunset, a witness who recorded video of the falls said. The two men did not appear to be seriously injured, Bystanders rushed to help and the two men did not appear to be seriously injured, the witness told reporters.
Witness video also showed a wayward Waymo autonomous car driving into a stretch of damaged, flooded road before firefighters disabled, then moved the vehicle.
Katon said firefighters had recently undergone training on how to deal with driverless cars in emergency situations.
A man was seen inspecting his model Jeep, which had a massive chunk of sidewalk wedged beneath it and a Tesla pushed against its front on Palm Avenue.
Another man who lives on the street said he worked late and arrived home to find a cataclysm.
“It was a river,” said Tehran Von Ghasri. “I thought it was a catastrophe. I thought it must have been an earthquake. Maybe a hydrant broke; maybe all the hydrants broke.”
His home and electric Hummer were fine, Von Ghasri said.
By 7 a.m., the rushing water, which pushed around parked cars and sent debris all the way to Santa Monica Boulevard, had been stopped.
Katon said the first priority was ensuring everyone was safe, with first responders going door to door in the affected area. The next priority, he said, was protecting property, pumping out water and helping businesses reopen.
The normally bustling Sunset Strip remained largely deserted as the closures kept customers away and businesses shuttered. Some establishments remained open to refreshments to first responders working in the area.
A pressurized 8-inch line was operational and serving all customers but one, and the water was safe to drink, according to the LADWP’s David Hanson.
“Everyone does have clean water that’s safe to drink,” Hanson said.
While water remains safe to drink, some customers in the immediate area — particularly those on higher floors of buildings near Sunset Boulevard — reported reduced water pressure, officials said.
“As LADWP crews continue to work urgently to remove water to repair the pipe rupture in West Hollywood, people should avoid the area and conserve water as some may experience a loss of water pressure,” said Mayor Karen Bass.
Metro spokesman Jose Ubaldo said that the Caltrans bus depot at Santa Monica just east of San Vicente Boulevard was flooded but none of the buses were damaged as most were already making runs and the water did not rise high enough to affect the vehicles.
“We were just unable to get them in and out (of the yard),” he said.
In May, Bass unveiled Los Angeles’ first Capital Infrastructure Program, an effort intended to guide long-term planning for projects such as street resurfacing, sidewalk repairs and curb ramp improvements, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The absence of a formal plan has contributed to deferred maintenance and chronic funding shortfalls for infrastructure projects, according to the mayor’s office.
Separately, voters in November are expected to consider a proposed City Charter amendment that would authorize Los Angeles to adopt a five-year capital infrastructure program.
According to the LADWP, the 10-miles Sunset Trunk Line was already designated for replacement.
“Design work is underway, with constructed expected to begin in 2031,” accoding to the department.
Officials said that in 2024 and 2025, more than 246,000 feet of pipleline was replaced with almost that much set to be replaced this year.
The specific cause of the break was under investigation, but Anselmo G. Collins, the LADWP’s chief operating officer and senior assistant general manager of the water system, said pressure in water delivery lines is highest at night when demand drops.