Broken water main leaves gaping hole in Porter Ranch intersection

A broken water main left a gaping hole in a Porter Ranch intersection and created a huge mess for crews on Thursday.

The wall of water and rocks from the broken pipe shot across the intersection of Kenya Street and Vanalden Avenue. 

"It was scary to know it was happening right behind my house," said Rebecca Russell, who lives right next to the crater-like hole created by the broken water main. 

Videos from neighbors show the water shooting high into the sky as an elementary school ended its day. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power quickly shut off the water and contained the 8-inch break, but not before it sent mud and rocks into the front yard of at least one nearby home. It also left streets saturated with debris and mud. 

"Just to see everything all messed up and broken is crazy," Russell said. 

No one was hurt, but neighbors worry about what would have happened if someone had been walking or even driving in the area when the pipe burst. 

"I'm a little bit worried about what it's going to do to our traffic in the area for the next couple of days," Russell said. "And just how long it might take us to get back up and running."

LADWP is hoping to restore service to the eight affected customers soon.