A massive sinkhole swallowed a portion of a Los Feliz street and a parked commercial van Wednesday morning, marking the latest in a string of infrastructure failures that have plagued Los Angeles in recent months.
The incident occurred at approximately 11:10 a.m. on the 1900 block of Normandie Avenue, where a ruptured eight-inch water main sent a torrent of water surging beneath the pavement. The resulting erosion caused the street to collapse, leaving a Spectrum service van precariously balanced as its front end slid into the widening crater.
Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Anthony Tubbs confirmed that emergency crews were dispatched to reports of water bubbling from the asphalt. Firefighters quickly cordoned off the area to manage the flooding and prevent further access. Despite the dramatic nature of the scene, officials reported no injuries. A spokesperson for Spectrum confirmed that their employee was not in the vehicle at the time of the collapse and is safe.
“We will retrieve our van once local officials say it’s safe,” said Spectrum spokesperson Dennis Johnson.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) arrived on-site to shut off the water flow and initiate repairs. The break left roughly 30 local customers without service, and city officials were forced to close a block of Normandie Avenue between Franklin Avenue and De Mille Drive to facilitate the cleanup and structural assessment.
While this specific break was limited in scope, it comes as the city grapples with the growing fragility of its aging water infrastructure. LADWP spokesperson Pamela Workman noted that the utility is in the midst of a massive, ongoing effort to modernize its underground systems.
“Every year we invest nearly $1 billion in replacing aging pipeline and related infrastructure as part of a five-year, $8-billion water infrastructure plan,” Workman said, adding that the department currently replaces approximately 240,000 feet of mainline pipe annually.
Despite these investments, the city has faced several high-profile water main failures this year. In July, a major pipe burst on the Sunset Strip, triggering a catastrophic sinkhole that shuttered Sunset Boulevard for eight days and resulted in damage to an estimated 200 vehicles in nearby subterranean garages. Another significant break occurred on October 8, when a water main ruptured in Porter Ranch, sending a wall of water and debris across the intersection of Kenya Street and Vanalden Avenue.
As of Wednesday afternoon, crews remained on the scene in Los Feliz working to stabilize the site. Officials have not yet provided a timeline for when the road will reopen or when water service will be fully restored to the affected residents and businesses.
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