A major water main break on Thursday morning flooded a critical intersection and surrounding streets in West Hollywood, transforming Sunset Boulevard into a rushing river.

The rupture at Sunset Boulevard and Holloway Drive sent thousands of gallons of water cascading down Holloway Drive, flooding underground parking garages of nearby apartments.Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies and firefighters responded to the scene as residents awoke to find their neighborhoods submerged.Fire Department Capt.Aaron Katon described the volume of water as one of the largest incidents he had encountered.

The 36-inch trunk line, a riveted steel pipe from 1916 owned by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, was shut down after several hours, leaving a massive sinkhole in the street.Mayor Karen Bass highlighted the aging infrastructure, noting the pipes are over 100 years old.DWP officials emphasized their aggressive pipeline replacement program but acknowledged vulnerabilities in the system.The incident caused significant disruptions, including road closures, flooded Metro bus barns, and damage to businesses like Dialog Cafe.Commuters faced delays on multiple transit lines as crews worked to pump water from the sinkhole and assess repairs.