Broken water main spawns sinkhole in Los Feliz, traps Spectrum van

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A large sinkhole swallowed part of a Los Feliz street and a parked work van after a water main break sent a torrent gushing down Normandie Avenue Wednesday morning, officials said.

No injuries were reported, but the water main break forced city officials to close down a block of Normandie Avenue as Los Angeles Department of Water and Power crews worked to stop the water and assess the damage.

The break was reported at 11:10 a.m. in the 1900 block of Normandie Avenue, said Pamela Workman, spokesperson for the LADWP.

The break occurred on a water main pipe that’s about 8 inches in diameter, Workman said, and affected about 30 customers in the area.

Capt. Tony Tubbs of the Los Angeles Fire Department said firefighters also responded to reports about flooding in the area and found water bubbling from the street.

Firefighters cordoned off the area and confirmed there were no injuries.

A water main broke in West Hollywood, flooding a neighborhood off Sunset Boulevard and Holloway Drive.

Video from KTLA showed that a sinkhole had formed along the street, damaging a parked Spectrum van parked on the road. The front end of the van could be seen sliding into the sinkhole, as water continued to gush out from the ground.

The water main break was the latest in Los Angeles over the past few months as officials struggle with aging infrastructure and failing water systems that have caused major disruptions for motorists and residents.

A large line that broke on July 16 sent millions of gallons of water onto the Sunset Strip, causing a massive sinkhole and forcing city officials to shut down Sunset Boulevard and other side streets. The streets remained closed for eight days as officials worked to fix the 110-year-old pipe.

Officials estimated up to 200 cars — many of them parked in subterranean garages — were damaged as a result.

On Oct. 8, water from a broken main opened a gaping hole in a Porter Ranch intersection. The break created a wall of water and rocks that shot across the intersection of Kenya Street and Vanalden Avenue, according to CBSNews. LADWP quickly shut off the water and contained the break.

Wednesday’s rupture forced officials to shut down Normandie Avenue from Franklin Avenue to De Mille Drive, Workman said.

Work crews were still on site Wednesday afternoon, and it was still unclear when service would resume, or when the road would reopen.

Sunset Boulevard will be open Saturday after completion of water leak repairs July 24, 2026 Repairs to Sunset Boulevard water line hit a snag with another leak in West Hollywood July 23, 2026 When will Sunset Boulevard reopen? Here’s what we know about filling the massive hole July 21, 2026 Show Comments CaliforniaBreaking News The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.

Salvador Hernandez is a reporter on the Fast Break Desk, the Los Angeles Times’ breaking news team. Before joining the newsroom in 2022, he was a senior reporter for BuzzFeed News, where he covered criminal justice issues, the growing militia movement and breaking news. He also covered crime as a reporter at the Orange County Register. He is a Los Angeles native.

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