On Thursday morning, a 100 year old pipe ruptured, causing severe damages across West Hollywood
In West Hollywood, several streets have been flooded with rushing water following a century-old water main break on Thursday morning.
The break was reported to the Los Angeles County Fire Department near Holloway Drive and Sunset Boulevard around 3 am. The water flooded through the streets until around 7 am when the leak was finally stopped.
The main break caused immense damage to the area surrounding the Sunset Strip, including creating a massive sinkhole at Sunset Boulevard and Holloway Drive and cracked sidewalks in the area. The usually bustling intersection was blocked off as crews filed in to repair the sinkhole.
The water rushed through West Hollywood and went as far as a Metro bus yard on Santa Monica Boulevard near San Vicente Boulevard, where several buses were partially submerged.
Over an hour after the initial break, an apartment complex at 1023 Hancock Avenue was still suffering from a flooded parking garage, which submerged vehicles under several feet of water.
The main break is owned by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, which has apologized for the inconveniences and damages the leak caused, and confirmed that water service remains available to those in the area.
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At a news briefing this morning, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass urged residents to avoid the area and be aware of traffic disruptions as crews work to remove the water and repair damages. She told reporters that “law enforcement and traffic officers will remain on the ground as crews continue to make progress on this incident” in reference to the large sinkhole.
“This is one of the challenges when our infrastructure is this old,” Bass also said. The broken pipe was revealed to be a 36-inch trunk line installed in 1916, according to LADWP officials.
West Hollywood Mayor John Heilman told reporters that all residents are safe, but that an evacuation zone has been established if it becomes necessary. As of this morning, “it does not appear that any of our residents will have to evacuate,” he said.
It is recommended that residents avoid the area until repairs are completed. Residents can stay up-to-date on effects to the Metro system here.