Flood Damage from Water Main Break Wreaks Havoc in West Hollywood

Tadeh Ghazalian, owner of Dialog Cafe, faces significant challenges after a water main break on Sunset Boulevard forced his family business of 20 years to close. His store suffers from structural damage and a complete loss of food and inventory. Ghazalian said, “The biggest thing is that there is so much water, there’s so much sand that went through this place. It’s going to take a while before we get everything up and running again.”

The rupture, involving a 3-foot-wide trunk line on Thursday morning, released 17 million gallons of water into a West Hollywood neighborhood, flowing from Sunset Strip downhill beyond Santa Monica Boulevard. Officials continue to assess the damage, indicating a lengthy recovery process for those affected.

West Hollywood Mayor John Heilman estimated between 150 and 200 cars suffered damage or were destroyed. Officials are informing residents on filing claims with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power for water damage compensation.

Several residential units were flooded, with some having their electricity shut off due to compromised electrical panels. The majority of the damage occurred in underground garages, requiring water to be pumped out. Repair efforts are ongoing.

“The water was so intense,” said Joe Artle, a 70-year-old building manager on Palm Avenue. “It was like whitewater rapids, like when you’re river rafting. You couldn’t stand in it; it would knock you over.”

Artle was alerted at 3 a.m. Thursday by his neighbor, Rudy Vargas, about the rising water in their garage. Despite efforts to alert others, only a few vehicles were saved. Most of the building’s 35 tenants lost vehicles or stored belongings, and the building’s washer and dryer units were damaged.

Vargas, residing there for 13 years, experienced his own turmoil. He described traversing through the water as if navigating a river and had to hold onto street poles to maintain his balance. “Sometimes, it rains hard enough that water comes into here, and it floods the garage, but it hasn’t been that bad,” he said.

Sunset Boulevard remains closed due to the sinkhole caused by the rupture. Staff writer Hannah Fry contributed to this report.