Pauley Pavilion flooded after massive water main break at UCLA
Not even two years after Pauley Pavilion underwent a $136-million renovation, UCLA is probably going to have to put more money aside to restore the hallowed basketball arena.
Flood water from a major water main break just north of the UCLA campus Tuesday evening left Pauley better suited to host a water polo match than a basketball game.
Ankle-high rivers of water outside the arena were deep enough that some people took off their shoes to wade across and a couple students showed up with skim and boogey boards. Enough water spewed into Pauley Pavilion that both the floor and the locker rooms were under water as of Tuesday evening and staffers were using brooms and squeegees to clear them off.
"The water will be removed from the floor tonight," UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero said in a statement late Tuesday night. "We will then reassess the situation tomorrow morning and be able to provide additional information at the appropriate time."
Pauley Pavilion was not the only UCLA athletic facility damaged as a result of the 8 to 10 millions of gallons of water that emanated from the ruptured water main. Drake Stadium, which is home to UCLA's soccer and track and field teams, was submerged. Water was also inside the J.D. Morgan Center, which houses UCLA's athletic department offices and its sports hall of fame.
The 30-inch water main broke at roughly 3:30 p.m., flooding Sunset Boulevard and several campus parking facilities for more than three hours before the fire department managed to shut it off. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti told reporters the pipe involved was from 1921 and could not be shut off immediately to prevent further damage to the system.
The timing of the water main break is not ideal for a state already in the midst of a drought. California had already implemented emergency water-conservation measures earlier Tuesday that included fines of up to $500 per day for using a hose to clean a sidewalk or other wasteful behaviors.
More images and video from the UCLA flood:
Drake Stadium on the campus of UCLA almost totally submerged as a result of a water coming from Sunset Blvd. pic.twitter.com/3Ux9hk5s1V
— Ryan Menezes (@ryanvmenezes) July 30, 2014
The stairs at #UCLA turned into a waterfall. http://t.co/obAdzhX3H7 pic.twitter.com/RD84eoSnZY
— Kari Van Horn (@KariVanHorn) July 29, 2014
NewsChopper4 captures geyser blowing through Sunset Boulevard, flooding UCLA campus http://t.co/1yGTEtDxkt pic.twitter.com/7Jt8FGpX3G
— NBC Los Angeles (@NBCLA) July 29, 2014
#PHOTO UCLA students go for a swim in the stairwell to a parking garage pic.twitter.com/27Pa9oi5BE
— RMG News (@RMGNews) July 30, 2014
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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!