Source: ESPN LA
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.
Pauley Pavilion hardwood under water.
Source: ESPN LA
Dang it!
They went and changed the ages old physical laws of hydraulics since I retired!
I better look that up, it must be amazing.
the reporters ARE SO DUMB!!!
Just DAM*!!!
That information probably came from the LADWP official, Lou Flung Poo.
Spokeman Flung Poo said consumers cut back on their water usage so much, the pipe just went limp and collapsed on itself.
And just their tear drop lapels will end up costing tax payers a mere six million dollars.
You should run for a post at LA city council-Or apply for a job at DWP.
Ya got to love it...You can hear the studio engineer or someone in the background whispering to the reporter interviewer, “it’s a prank call”
As she continues to interview him, the reporter eventually says the call was disconnected and then she said”, “We’ll see if we can reconnect with the spokesperson”...
Ohhhhhhh yes....
My kind of prank...El Perfecto. I needed it.
Tim Conway interviews the prankster. He’s a regular KFI listener. Always a good day when the media is exposed for the frauds they are.
Actually I was thinking about the attorney general spot. Has a nice ring to it and I like the uniforms.
Will L.A. DWP get fined by the state for wasting millions (if not billions) of gallons of water during a severe drought? Any maintenance done to the pipe since 1912?
All water from the Owens Valley I’m sure where the lakes are being drained. The aqueduct bringing water to L.A. was built in 1912.
Today, they said they had to shut off water slowly because of concern over changing pressure in the pipes. But it could certainly be another BS story to weasle more money from the tax payers. I have no idea-just posting something I remembered from previous coverage of breaks in the system.
(Like you said-perhaps they were arguing for 4 hours over which way to turn the valve :-)
OH Yeah KFI really goofing on them even Shannon Farahn John and Ken newslady said oh I am I am back from vacation today LOL!
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