West Hollywood Pipe Rupture Unleashes 17 Million Gallons, Damaging up to 200 Cars
Updated
Updated · Los Angeles Times · Jul 17
West Hollywood Pipe Rupture Unleashes 17 Million Gallons, Damaging up to 200 Cars
3 articles · Updated · Los Angeles Times · Jul 17
Summary
17 million gallons from a 3-foot LADWP trunk line flooded West Hollywood after Thursday’s rupture, leaving Sunset Boulevard closed indefinitely as crews repair the pipe and road.
Up to 200 cars were damaged or destroyed, Mayor John Heilman said, with the worst losses concentrated in underground garages where floodwater and mud trapped vehicles and forced extensive pumping.
A handful of residential units were inundated, some losing power after electrical panels were compromised, while businesses including Dialog Cafe reported structural damage and wiped-out inventory.
Residents are being told door to door how to file LADWP claims, but accounts from tenants who saved only a few cars suggest a long recovery from the break in the roughly 100-year-old 36-inch line.