While the rain continues and the storm watch is on, Culver City’s Public Works Department is working all over the city to mitigate risk. Culver City has taken on almost six inches of rain since Sunday afternoon, and up to another three inches is forecast for today. A flooding situation was remedied last night, and today there are concerns of mud flows and/or slides in the Culver Crest neighborhood
As the rain opened up on Feb. 4, 2024, the storm drain at the cul-de-sac on McDonald Street in Sunkist Park started to release water backing up from Ballona Creek. By 6 pm, the water was up to the top of the curb and beginning to encroach on driveways and lawns.
The Culver City Fire Department responded to the emergency call, and when they arrived, they opted to open the manhole covers on the street to allow the water to drain to the sewers. This saved the street, but then created an issue for the sewers.
“That was a mess” said Jessie McGergor, the sewer and drain crew manager from Public Works. “We had a huge inflow of water coming in, and it was just almost more than the system could handle.” He asked the Fire Department to close the covers, and give him time to get a pump in place. “I don’t want to diss the FD, they did what they needed to do to avert the crisis, but then we had another crisis to deal with; sometimes with this kind of emergency, you just have to handle one thing at a time.”
The diesel-powered ‘trash’ pump, which had been used in previous flooding situations, was put to work shortly after 7:30 pm, with the red-and-white hazard lights flashing into the dark. It pumped the overflow from the storm drain up to Sawtelle Boulevard, and allowed the street to stay clear.
“We are keeping that machine in place until we know the storm is over.” McGregor offered. “When I left the scene at two am, I saw the creek was up right to the limit.”
Mud flows are also being reported in the Culver Crest neighborhood, behind two homes along Cranks Road and one home along Flaxton Street. The City is asking residents who live above, below, or adjacent to a hillside in or below the Upper Crest neighborhood, to take extra precaution as the situation develops:
From the City “Residents are urged to stay informed about the latest updates through official channels, including local news outlets and Culver City’s official communication channels. For real-time information and updates, residents are encouraged to follow Culver City’s official social media accounts and sign up for Everbridge, the City’s alert platform for updates to your phone.
You can also find useful resources on the Culver City Fire Department’s website.
With the storm forecast to continue on through Tuesday, people are encouraged to be cautious. If an immediate, dangerous situation is observed, please call 9-1-1. If you have questions or non-urgent concerns, please call Public Works Maintenance Operations at (310) 253-6420.”
Judith Martin-Straw
