Laguna Hills Residents Allowed To Return Home After Major Water Main Break
LAGUNA HILLS (CBSLA.com) —Authorities reported more than 20 homes had to be evacuated Saturday after a water main break threatened a landslide in Laguna Hills.
Officials said the water main break, reported around 1:10 p.m. in the 25700 block of Via Lomas, near Clover Hill Lane, caused several sinkholes as well.
"It is a mud and debris flow as a result of a water main break that has undermined the hillside," Kris Concepcion of the Orange County Fire Authority said. "We had to evacuate 21 homes."
Concepcion said five four-plexes were evacuated on Via Lomas, at the bottom of the hill. A town home was evacuated at the top of the hill on Clover Hill Lane.
Officials estimated there were at least 60 people affected in total.
Authorities allowed residents to return home just after 7 p.m. Saturday after determining the hill was stable.
KCAL9's Rachel Kim spoke to residents about their ordeal and said during the afternoon "sidewalks became virtual rivers."
Jorge Navarro spent a good part of the evening unpacking what his family packed up Saturday afternoon.
"We thought it was raining outside. When we went outside we saw the whole place was flooded in and then immediately, we were evacuated," says Navarro.
Neighbors at the top of the hill are also breathing a sigh of relief that the hill remained structurally sound.
"It looked like a big waterfall," said Susan Leclair, "I was concerned about water getting underneath the house."
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