Water was shooting down Sunset Boulevard.
A trunk/main water line ruptured in the 16100 block of Sunset Boulevard (at Muskingum) at 7:43 p.m. on Sunday evening. Water flowing downhill like river rapids made it dangerous for pedestrians and motorists.
LAFD responded and all lanes of Sunset Boulevard were closed in both directions from El Medio to Los Lomas. LAPD was onsite to assist.
Once Battalion 9 Chief Captain Joseph Everett saw the extent of the flooding in some of the buildings, he called in the L.A. County Lifeguards.
“The parking lot [under one of the buildings] filled with water so fast, I wanted to make sure that everyone was safe,” Everett said, noting that during the early stages of the incident, there were reports of someone in distress in the water.
LAFD rescued one person from the water, who was uninjured. LA County Lifeguards assisted with searching the deep water in a below-grade parking level to make sure no one was stranded in a submerged vehicle.
Everett said that DWP was working to shut off the water, but that will also shut off the domestic water supply for some people.
DWP workers on Sunset said they would probably have to work well into the night.
LAFD will remain on scene for several hours to help pump water from out of the parking garage and dewater affected apartment units.
There was also apparent damage to the street, as asphalt peeled up in certain locations, with the fast moving water.
Three boys waded in the deep water on Northfield.
On Northfield at Muskingum, there was a deep pool of water draining into a storm drain, and three boys were trying to navigate the water which was shooting down a driveway. Cars had trouble driving through the deep water.
Local television stations had vans, reporters and cameras to report on the water main break that closed Sunset, which is a major artery in Pacific Palisades.
As of now, no residents will be displaced, according to LAFD spokesperson Nicholas Prange.
Battalion Chief Captain Joseph Everett spoke to news reporters on Sunset.
Thank you for your detailed coverage of this water main break. It was informative and useful information, Sue. I live on Northfield where the run off pooled curbed over the curb before surging down the storm drain.
Will our water supply or pressure be affected?
Do you know how travel on Sunset will be affected? Restricted?
Karen Ridgley, Area 4 Rep, PPCC
Karen,
I walked by this morning (7:30 a.m.) and the workers on site were repairing the line and seemed to think it would be up and running by this afternoon. There were detours around about a three block area of Sunset Boulevard, so there was heavy traffic on residential streets. I’m not sure how long it will take to repair the street, once the pipe is replaced/repaired.
Sue