La Habra Sinkhole Emergency Work, Flood Protection Underway

LA HABRA, CA — It was muddy work as Orange County public workers used a large backhoe and tractor to clear debris from a massive sinkhole in La Habra, Tuesday.

The sinkhole, which opened up late last week, measures 100-feet long by 20-feet wide and 15-feet deep, Orange County Public Works spokesperson Shannon Widor told Patch, and is "one of the largest he has ever seen," he said.

There is another storm coming, and more risk of flooding to the area, leaving no time to waste to begin the cleanup, which will be handled in 12-hour shifts until the work is done, he said. Public work crews were trying to beat the coming storm in removing all damaged sections of the private storm drain, turf, sidewalk as well as other debris within that area of the condominium complex, Widor said in a joint release with the City of La Habra.

"OC Public Works and the City of La Habra coordinated with the homeowners association to notify community residents of the emergency work," Widor said.

Now, residents will add roped off parking areas and access points to their homes off of Imperial Highway in La Habra to their list of woes. No further evacuations were ordered after the initial collapse.

"Public safety remains the top priority while this critical emergency work is performed," he said.
Still, the homeowners association has not yet confirmed what will happen with the private storm drain repairs.

The area has been roped off since the depression appeared, with at least one family displaced after the earth collapsed into the old storm drain, toppling large trees into the Coyote Village condominiums. Public works and the City of La Habra placed sandbags, barricades and caution tape around the land, but work was stalled until questions of who was ultimately responsible for the storm drain were answered.

Both OC Public Works and the city of La Habra have worked with the Coyote Village Homeowners Association to resolve that question over the past week, while they determined how best to close up the sinkhole and thereby render the area safe for all.

"With no definite timeline to complete the emergency debris clearing, crews are attempting to complete the debris removal by the end of day Wednesday," Widor said. The private storm drain is downstream of an open OC Public Works flood control channel, just south of Imperial Highway.

Rain was expected to hit the area hard, Thursday, Jan. 31 and pick up again Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.

OC Public Works Photo