Tadeh Ghazalian, owner of Dialog Cafe, faces significant challenges after a water main break on Sunset Boulevard. His cafe is shut down, dealing with structural damage, food and product loss, and inventory destruction. Ghazalian expressed concern about the extensive water and sand damage, stating, “It’s going to take a while before we get everything up and running again.”

On Thursday morning, a 3-foot-wide trunk line ruptured, releasing 17 million gallons of water into a West Hollywood neighborhood. The flood extended from the Sunset Strip to beyond Santa Monica Boulevard. Officials are evaluating damages and acknowledge that recovery will be prolonged for those affected.

West Hollywood Mayor John Heilman estimated that 150 to 200 cars were damaged or destroyed. Officials are visiting residents to guide them on filing claims with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power for compensation. Several residential buildings experienced flooding, with some having to cut electrical power due to compromised panels. Most significant damage occurred in underground garages, which required water removal.

Joe Artle, manager of an apartment building on Palm Avenue and Cynthia Street, stood in awe amid the mud and destroyed cars in their garage. The water broke Artle’s sleep when his neighbor, Rudy Vargas, alerted him around 3 a.m. Thursday. In desperation, they managed to save merely four out of 20 cars.

Artle described the deluge as “whitewater rapids, like when you’re river rafting,” explaining that it was impossible to stand in without being knocked over. The damage surpassed anything he had witnessed in his 25 years residing in the building. Most of its 35 tenants lost vehicles or items stored in the garage, and the washer and dryer units suffered complete destruction.

Vargas detailed his high adrenaline during the event, likening his venture outside to crossing a river. He clung to street poles for stability. “Sometimes, rain floods the garage, but it hasn’t been that bad,” he recalled, describing his reaction when he saw the severity through his kitchen window.

Sunset Boulevard remains closed due to the sinkhole from the rupture.