Heavy rains in Los Angeles caused widespread potholes, damaging vehicles and costing drivers hundreds in repairs, with city crews prioritizing emergency patches
Potholes Increase on Los Angeles Streets After Recent Storms
LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Recent storms have moved out, but they have left more potholes on city streets. Drivers are finding that this can damage their tires and their wallets.
After days of heavy rain, large potholes are forming across the city. Many drivers have reported sudden impacts, including Giuseppe D’Amore.
“Not only my tire replaced, but now I just found out. I’ve got to get another rim replaced. This is the second rim that’s been fractured,” said D’Amore.
He was driving to the farmers market on Friday night when he heard a loud thump.
“I hit a pothole, and I didn’t see it. It was at night. It’s black, the street is black. There’s no differentiation, and I hit it. It literally scared me and the person that was riding with me,” D’Amore said.
Moments later, his dashboard indicated a tire was rapidly losing air. Cracked wheels and blown tires are not only dangerous but also expensive.
“It depends. The average is about $300 to over $1,000 bucks, depends on the rim and everything,” said Chris Dushikyan from American Tire Center.
There is a dangerous stretch on South La Brea Avenue. By around 8:30 Friday night, at least 15 vehicles suffered serious tire damage after hitting one large pothole.
“We heard this huge thump twice, and then as soon as I heard that, the warning lights in my car went off, and both my tires on the passenger side just blew out completely,” said James Estreba.
The city is asking people to report potholes. Reportedly, the city is trying to patch only the worst parts of the streets, not the entire roadway.
“They still haven’t caught up from all the previous years, so yeah, there definitely seems like there’s a lot more,” says David Zamarripa from Ben’s Asphalt.
Crews from Ben’s Asphalt were out doing repairs on Tuesday morning in a parking lot. They have advice for drivers.
“It seems like most of the potholes are on the low side, so maybe try to stay on the high side of the street, because that’s where the water is going to sit,” Zamarripa said.
For now, motorists are urged to slow down, stay alert, and brace for more bumps ahead.
| Event | Details |
|---|---|
| Storms | Recent storms caused potholes |
| Driver Reports | Giuseppe D’Amore reported tire and rim damage |
| Damage Costs | Average repair costs range from $300 to over $1,000 |
| Incident Time | 8:30 PM Friday, 15 vehicles damaged |
| Repair Advice | Stay on the high side of the street |
