CENTURY-OLD WATER MAIN BURSTS, FLOODING WEST HOLLYWOOD STREETS

A century-old water pipe burst and woke up West Hollywood to flooded homes and drowned cars

A massive sinkhole opened on Sunset Boulevard early Thursday morning, flooding parked cars and Metro buses after a century-old pipe ruptured.

Imagine waking up in the dark to find a river rushing through your garage. That was the reality for West Hollywood residents early Thursday morning.

WHAT HAPPENED

A massive water pipe burst around 3 a.m. near Sunset Boulevard and Holloway Drive. The rupture ripped a giant sinkhole into the pavement.

Thick brown water poured down the stairs of an apartment building on Hancock Avenue. It quickly filled the underground garage and covered cars up to their windows.

Down the road, water flooded a city bus yard. Several public buses sat half-underwater as emergency crews rushed to close the valves.

FACT BOX

• The pipe broke around 3 a.m. near Sunset Boulevard and Holloway Drive.
• It took workers until 7 a.m. to turn off the water.
• The pipe is more than 100 years old.
• Floods damaged cars in an apartment garage at 1023 Hancock Avenue.
• Water flooded a Metro bus yard on Santa Monica Boulevard.

WHY IT MATTERS

West Hollywood is a hub where pipes from many different water systems cross. When one giant pipe breaks, the risk of a domino effect is high.

This break shows how fragile our old city pipes are. Many of them have been underground for a century without being replaced.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

Crews must now repair the massive sinkhole and fix the broken street. Drivers should stay away from the area around Sunset Boulevard and Holloway Drive for now.

The city will check nearby lines to make sure other old pipes do not burst. Affected residents will have to work with insurance to deal with their ruined cars.

WHAT WE STILL DON'T KNOW

1. What caused this specific water pipe to burst now?
2. How much will it cost to repair the road and the pipe?
3. How many cars and buses were ruined by the flood?