Chunks of concrete fall off Santa Monica channel during storm

Concrete falls off Santa Monica channel during storm

The Santa Monica channel, near Rustic Canyon, is now filled with concrete after swift waters broke off the cement. 

LOS ANGELES - "It sounded like a freight train," say residents living next to the Santa Monica channel near Rustic Canyon. They're referring to the water rushing down the channel so furiously during the last rainstorm that it pulled cement from the sides of the channel like pieces of flaking paint. 

When the rain stopped, the channel was covered with huge piles of concrete, which County Public Works tells Councilperson Traci Park that it cannot be removed until the rain stops. 

"The channel capacity has been reduced by 15%," said Park as she asked people in the neighborhood to stay away from the channels during the next storm.

The chunks of cement are pieces of overlay laid in the 1970s, which has some residents wondering if there are issues with the structural integrity of the channel.

Local perspective:

"My house is right next to it," said David Levine, "and I've never seen anything like this!"

"I'd be worried too. We are keeping a close eye on this and working with County Public Works," added Park. 

While the debris is overlay, engineers want to look closely at the walls, as soon as the next rain is over. For now, they plan to leave the debris in place.

Park added that this issue speaks to the ongoing concern about how channels are used to move water and debris from the basin and into the ocean. 

"We need to come up with a better solution. We have been speaking about this for years. It's not only a matter of pollution, it's a matter of safety ane we need to start dealing with it now".