Posted on 07/29/2014 5:22:51 PM PDT by doug from upland
LIVE VIDEO AT THE LINK
A 102-year-old water main broke in Westwood Tuesday, sending water flooding into streets and the UCLA campus, stranding people and vehicles and prompting the closure of Sunset Boulevard on Tuesday.
The water main break sent a geyser gushing into the air on July 29, 2014. (Credit: KTLA) The water main break sent a geyser gushing into the air on July 29, 2014. (Credit: KTLA) People were stranded by the rising water, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department, which was called to the incident shortly before 3:30 p.m.
Three people were rescued from parking structures, the department’s Brian Humphrey told KTLA. Two of the structures were flooded with rising waters, but no academic facilities were impacted, officials said.
A geyser of water was shooting several dozen feet into the air from a hole in a roadway near the Spieker Aquatic Center, video from Sky5 showed. A main had broken in the center of Sunset Boulevard, LAFD Capt. Jaime Moore said.
Utility crews were shutting down multiple valves to avoid rupturing lines, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power stated on Twitter about 5:10 p.m.
While authorities were urging people to avoid the area and stay out of the water, the Fire Department was responding with four swift-water boats that could be deployed.
Students were walking through the waters, despite warnings that it should be avoided. (Credit: Vu Pham) Students were walking through the waters, despite warnings that it should be avoided. (Credit: Vu Pham) “We’re treating this the same as we would a flash flood,” Moore said from the scene. “Everybody is safe as long as they stay away from this water.”
Sunset Boulevard was closed from Marymount Place to Westwood Plaza, according to LAFD.
On Twitter, DWP said the broken pipe was 36 inches in diameter; L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said it had been installed in 1912.
The address given for the flooding was 10630 W. Sunset Blvd., next to the UCLA campus (map). Water was flowing over much of the campus, aerial video showed.
Moore urged people to stay away from the water because of slippery conditions, fast-running water, and debris.
Nonetheless, aerial video showed dozens of people walking through giant brown pools of water across the campus.
People could be seen wading through water from a massive main break on the UCLA campus July 29, 2014. (Credit: KTLA) People could be seen wading through water from a massive main break on the UCLA campus July 29, 2014. (Credit: KTLA) “People are standing in the water almost out of a sense of amusement,” Humphrey told KTLA. “It doesn’t take much more than an ankle depth of water to sweep somebody into harm’s way, so we’re hoping to get UCLA campus officials to move people here away … from this very dramatic cascade of water.”
Traffic was jammed in the area, the Los Angeles Police Department stated in an advisory.
He must know Sum Ting Wong.
Yikes! Sounds like a traffic nightmare. Was just there two weeks ago...
Poor Westside liberals.
John and Ken saying it took DWP an hour and a half to respond. Fire Dept was there quickly and rescued people. Cars flooded in underground parking structure at UCLA.
too bad they cannot reroute the water to the parched farmlands of the Central Valley
Louis Flung Pou — listening to replay as John and Ken mock Channel 7, ABC. The guy is saying someone put cherry bombs down toilet.
Am sure it was. Water main breaks around here seem to shut everything down.
CHANNEL 7, ABC. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Louis Flung Pou says cherry bomb or someone took incredibly large dump. News woman asks “Are you sure?” Then they cut away. LOLOLOL!
That might be bad for some minnow or smelt or Democrat or something. Better to let it go to waste. [/lib]
I saw it live Doug that was funny LMAO
BTW did you see that College student “surf” on the steps only in SO CAL people only in SO CAL LOL!
I’m surprised Howard Stern wasn’t mentioned somehow.
HA HA
Just amazing. Stupid newswoman, after either cherry bomb or large dump comment -— That is incred.....are you sure (or absolutely sure). Then someone whispers that the call is a fake. Idiots!
LOL...
I give that an 8 on the honking hoot scale...
lol
Too bad this did not happen when the Kenyan was in L.A.
Woo hoo, shovel-ready...call 0bummer!
Water inside Pauley Pavillion that recently had 133 mil renovation.
35,000 gallons per minute being lost.
2.1 million gallons a minute.
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