A burst water main more than a century old caused severe flooding in West Hollywood, California, leaving flooded streets, a massive sinkhole, underwater vehicles, and damage to homes and businesses.

According to information from ABC7 Los Angeles, the leak was reported shortly after 3:00 a.m. Thursday at the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Holloway Drive. The force of the water quickly spread through nearby streets until it reached Santa Monica Boulevard, where it also affected public transportation system facilities.

Videos shared on social networks show the magnitude of the incident: cars completely submerged, garages flooded and a person who was momentarily dragged by the current before managing to get to safety.

Aged infrastructure aggravates the emergency

Authorities reported that the failure occurred in a 36-inch pipe installed in 1916, forcing crews from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) to gradually close the valves to prevent further damage to the system.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass acknowledged that the incident reflects the deterioration of the city's infrastructure.

"This is one of the challenges of having such an old infrastructure. I understand that these pipes are more than 100 years old," declared the official during a tour of the affected area.

Although the water supply was maintained for most users, authorities indicated that there is still no estimated date to complete the repairs or to fully reopen the damaged stretch of Sunset Boulevard.

Neighbors face losses and a long cleanup

The floods also impacted the operation of the Metro depot, where more than 200 buses remain parked. The agency reported that all units were inspected before returning to service and warned of delays on several routes.

Meanwhile, residents and merchants began cleaning homes and businesses affected by water and mud.

Arnie Perras, one of the affected neighbors, lamented that his newly acquired car was completely underwater: “New car, I bought it just two months ago… You can't see it, the water is very high.”

Another resident, identified as Kevin, told the aforementioned media that the losses could be in the millions: “I estimate there are at least $20 million in submerged cars along this street.”

Authorities are keeping the area cordoned off while work continues to repair the water main and assess the damage caused by one of the floods.