The rupture of a century-old pipe transformed a stretch of Sunset Boulevard into a rushing river, engulfing one of Los Angeles’ busiest corridors in thousands of gallons of water.
On Thursday morning, a 36‑inch underground pipe burst without warning at the convergence of Sunset and Holloway Drive, opening a sizable sinkhole and sending a torrent coursing down the surrounding streets for several hours.
From above, the scene looked surreal: water cascading along tree‑lined blocks, vehicles stranded in rising currents, a fleet of buses partially submerged and what appeared to be an underground parking garage filled with several feet of water. No injuries have been reported.
Crews worked through the night to drain the sinkhole and excavate a roughly 25‑foot section of the broken main. On Friday, Sunset Boulevard remained closed as repairs continued, and officials urged residents to avoid the area and conserve water.
“We are grateful that no injuries have been reported as a result of this significant water main break,” West Hollywood Mayor John Heilman said in a statement on Thursday. “We know these road closures and traffic impacts are disruptive, and we appreciate everyone’s patience as crews work to stabilize the area, assess the damage, and begin repairs.”
The steel pipe, constructed in 1916, ruptured shortly before 4 a.m. Thursday, sending water across the hills of West Hollywood and down its inclined streets.
Area residents woke to find water rushing past their front doors. Dozens of buses were seen submerged under water, and some nearby businesses had sopping wet floors. Firefighters deployed to the area laid sandbags on streets brimming with the overflow.
“For those familiar with this area, you know the topography. It’s a lot of hills, streets with an incline, so that’s creating this massive rush of water,” an ABC7 reporter said on Thursday morning.
The outlet reported that crews managed to stop the flooding around 7 a.m.
“As [Los Angeles Department of Water and Power] crews continue to work urgently to remove water to repair the pipe rupture in West Hollywood, people should avoid the area and conserve water as some may experience a loss of water pressure,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said on Thursday. “Water to the pipe has been shut off, and anyone who has experienced damage should speak to LADWP personnel on the ground…”
On Friday, LADWP said crews remained on scene, working to reshore the compromised infrastructure. A 0.7‑mile section of the main had been drained, with about 195,000 gallons of water removed from the site and a 25‑foot section of the damaged pipe cut out.
Sunset Boulevard between Sherbourne Drive and San Vicente Boulevard is still closed to traffic, with some sidewalks rendered unusable. The ruptured pipeline — installed when Woodrow Wilson was in the White House — had already been slated for replacement.
“While repairs to the damaged 25-foot section are being completed now, LADWP will continue moving forward with the long-term replacement plan,” the agency said.
Despite the break and the dramatic flooding, the agency said its overall leak rate remains 36 percent lower than the national average.
