Dozens of slabs of old cement were swept away by rushing water in the Santa Monica Channel after back-to-back intense winter storms doused Los Angeles this week. 

The massive blocks of concrete, which ripped apart when the water moved them down the channel in the Pacific Palisades early Wednesday morning, were so loud that some residents felt the ground shaking. 

“It sounded like a freight train was coming through the house,” said Stephanie Morton-Millstein. “All the water was rising so fast, I made a very quick decision. I said,’ Guys, we gotta leave the house immediately.'”

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The broken slabs of concrete that ripped through the Santa Monica Channel in the Pacific Palisades early Wednesday morning during a powerful rainstorm. 

Councilwoman Traci Park

Though the actual destruction was hidden underneath the water, Morton-Millstein said that she could hear the sound of the debris rushing into their neighborhood. Her family ran to their roof, where the damage was very visible after the rain had subsided. 

“Literally ran out thinking that this wall just might come down, and then, just, it was crazy,” she said. “It dammed up right in front of my house.”

Though the channel actually sits within Santa Monica city limits, Los Angeles County officials oversee the maintenance. 

“If all that cement ends up in the ocean, you can imagine the devastation of a surfer out there getting hit in the head with a slab of concrete,” said Sharon Kilbride, another resident.

Los Angeles City Councilmember Traci Park says that the county’s Public Works Department engineers found the slabs came from a layer of cement installed in 1970. Now, after almost 50 years, it’s peeling away. Once the next round of rain passes and dry weather returns to Southern California, Park says that crews will be able to safely remove the concrete and begin repairing the damage.

“We have got to do more, to better manage our stormwater for a modern city in a modern era,” Park said. “This just simply can’t be either how we treat our environment or the infrastructures that keeps our city safe and functioning.”

Morton-Millstein says that action needs to be taken so they can avoid further destruction that could impact their homes. 

“We need to have engineers come out and look at our entire channel system and inspect it, because we all know since the fires: Don’t wait,” she said. “You have to do everything before something happens.”

Park said that the channel is currently holding nearly 15% water with the slabs in the way, and that the area is under close watch ot make sure things don’t get worse.

CBS LA reached out to LA County Public Works for comment on the matter and they shared a statement, which says: “During the February 16 storm event, stormwater displaced portions of the sacrificial concrete overlay in the Santa Monica Canyon Channel within the City of Los Angeles, carrying sections downstream. The channel has been inspected, and concrete debris was identified at four locations.  There is no risk to public safety.”

They said that with more rain expected through Thursday, the channel would remain monitored before debris removal could begin. 

“We remain committed to maintaining the integrity of the channel and protecting public safety,” the statement said.Â