Explosion of potholes across SoCal as rain continues
POMONA, Calif. - An explosion of potholes!
It's the only way to describe it as these latest storms continue adding them, seemingly faster, than they can be fixed.
In Pomona, more than 30 cars were disabled Wednesday morning on the 71 Freeway at the Holt exit.
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"Some of them had not one, but two tires destroyed," one tow truck driver told us.
But that was only one of several freeway locations this morning, where rain opened up more of the craters that have been multiplying with the heavy rain season.
According to Caltrans officials, between last Friday and Tuesday, their crews filled approximately 600 potholes in Los Angeles and Ventura counties alone.
In the City of Los Angeles, Public Works has received over 1,100 requests for pothole service in six days, filling in 300 of the ones reported by drivers.
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"The pothole hit the whole tire and those tires get expensive!" said driver Trenese Lewis. "The expense is going to be on me!"
Not necessarily, we're told.
There are claims procedures for both Caltrans and the City of Los Angeles, although many claims seem to be denied because the agencies say they had not been notified of the hole causing the damage, and not knowing about it, didn’t have a chance to remedy it before it caused damage.
"My tire completely dipped into the pothole so this was a sinkhole basically," said Dr. Daymond Johnson.
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Dr. Johnson happens to be a key figure in the LA Central Area Neighborhood Council.
He told FOX 11 he filled out a city damage claim report and submitted it to the city clerk with the City of Los Angeles.
They denied the claim.
Dr. Johnson said the reason as stated in the letter was that "the city did not have prior knowledge to the pothole."
That's why it's important for people to report them. Even if you drive by without hitting it, report it and keep the report number. That way, you can follow up on it, and it creates a way to prove you reported it, if you do hit it at some point.
If you're in Los Angeles, we're told the best way to report a pothole or complete a street repair request is by calling 311. You can also file a claim for damage, but make sure you take pictures of the damage, keep receipts, and have your claim number handy.
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To submit a damage claim with Caltrans, you can do so on their website. Tap here to see the form on the Caltrans website.
One last piece of advice from Caltrans - you're likely to find fewer potholes in the number 1 and 2 lanes of a four-lane freeway, since trucks and heavier vehicles tend to use the slower (3 and 4) lanes. Heavier vehicles tend to produce more potholes, so you are more likely to hit a problem on the outer lanes. But also keep in mind the number 1 and 4 lanes also tend to get filled with water first, so go slow.