The concrete overlay in the flood channel came up and was pushed into a pile with the flowing water. It needs to be removed before the next rains,
County Public works will be staging heavy equipment and trucks starting tomorrow at 474 E. Channel for about three to four weeks to complete debris cleanup of the flood control channel.
Residents were warned that the dead-end portion of East Channel Road at Amalfi Drive would be temporarily closed to facilitate this work. Dump trucks will be used to haul the removed material. The county expects two to three trucks to be staged in the cul-de-sac for loading at any given time. Personnel, including flaggers, will be onsite to manage traffic.
On February 16, Santa Monica Canyon residents were alarmed to hear a loud rumbling sound in the channel behind their homes.
Water rushed up the sides of the concrete walls channel walls – and had the rain not stopped when it did, water could have poured into neighboring yards and onto the streets.
When the rain and water subsided, huge slabs of concrete could be seen piled in the canal. County and City officials were contacted by resident Sharon Kilbride.
Councilmember Traci Parks office responded immediately. “Preliminary reports from LA County Public Works field engineers for the Santa Monica Channel say the concrete overlay that was installed in the 1970s has peeled off and this was the material in the channel.
The storm on February 16 caused sections of the sacrificial concrete overlay in the Santa Monica Canyon Channel to delaminate and collect within the channel.