Water rushed down West Hollywood streets like raging river rapids Thursday after a 36-inch-wide water main broke on the Sunset Strip, opening sinkholes, and many roads were closed as crews shut valves and went to work assessing the damage.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department said that a major water main was reported broken around 3 a.m. Thursday in the area of Palm Avenue and Harratt Street.
Live television broadcasts and video showed water roaring downhill from Sunset Boulevard at Holloway Drive to Santa Monica Boulevard and into the Metro bus yard on Santa Monica Boulevard near San Vicente Boulevard.
Two people fell into a sinkhole that collapsed the sidewalk on Palm Avenue just south of Sunset, a witness said. They did not appear to be seriously injured, a witness told reporters.
LACo Fire Department Capt. Aaron Katon said that firefighters and utility workers turned off the flow from the massive main. He added that it was a multi-agency effort in which the priority was getting the water shut off, and people should stay in their homes and avoid the area.
By 7 a.m. the water, which pushed around parked cars and flooded underground parking garages, had stopped leaking.
Metro announced bus detours, delays and a yard closure due to the flooding. “LINES 16 (and) 105: Due to a water main break, northbound and westbound buses will layover on San Vincente in front of the Pacific Design Center,” Metro said in an initial announcement on X. “Eastbound and Southbound buses will detour via Robertson between Santa Monica and Melrose.”
Then Metro said in an additional announcement, “Bus service continues in the area with Metro Bus lines 2, 4, 10, 14, 16, 20, 134, 602 and 627 experiencing delays, and there are detours around the flooding.”
Several streets in West Hollywood are being inundated with fast-moving water following a water main break. Here’s a look at the widespread impact of the rushing water from AIR7. https://t.co/bUUdle70vp pic.twitter.com/h4UNHVWd22
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) July 16, 2026
Sunset was shut down in the area, creating transportation headaches for commuters, residences and businesses, but only one customer was without water service, according to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.
“We received the report of this incident at 3:55 a.m. and our water crews have been on site working to carefully and methodically close large diameter valves located underground to turn off the water and assess and repair the damage,” she said. “Due to the highly pressurized water system, our crews must turn valves slowly and carefully to avoid causing further damage.
“We are also coordinating on the ground with law enforcement and will be working with traffic control as we make progress and assess and begin repairs.”
A pressurized 8-inch line was operational and serving all customers but one, according to the LADWP’s Anselmo Collins.
He said there was no estimated time of repair because they must first pump out water, then assess the damage.
Mayor Karen Bass appeared at the scene with LADWP officials to thank the crews and ask people to be patient as the repairs are made to the line, which dates to 1916.
Collins said pressure in water delivery lines is highest at night when demand drops.