Laguna Beach Police and Fire Departments found a parked Range Rover in a sinkhole after responding to reports of water flowing between homes onto South Coast Highway at 7:30 a.m. on March 5.
The parked vehicle on Sunset Avenue between 10th and 11th fell into the sinkhole and severed a gas supply line. As a precaution, authorities evacuated the surrounding homes on Sunset Avenue and Virginia Way between 10th and 11th.
At 10 a.m. the same morning, SoCal Gas deemed the area safe for residents to return home. However, Sunset Ave between 10th and 11th will remain closed to vehicle traffic for repairs until further notice.
Laguna Beach Public Works, South Coast Water District and SoCal Gas will remain onsite to help clean up and restore water and gas to affected homes.
This is the second sinkhole reported in Laguna Beach in the past three weeks. On Feb. 15, the city closed 600 Bluebird Canyon Drive after a smaller sinkhole, caused by the failure of a corrugated metal pipe storm drain under the roadway, was reported.
No structures or vehicles were damaged. Public Works plated the hole that evening and reopened traffic. The next day, emergency work to repair the road was done yesterday morning. The work will include replacing approximately 10 feet of storm drain and fixing the road surface.
