Weathering the Storm: LADWP’s Response to Tropical Storm Hilary
By Albert Rodriguez
Tropical Storm Hilary hit Los Angeles on August 20, 2023, bringing strong winds and heavy rains to areas that haven’t experienced these types of conditions in more than 80 years. The storm’s impact and after effects were described as unprecedented, extraordinary and disruptive. However, one thing that did remain normal, familiar and dependable was the performance of LADWP employees who were called upon to keep the water flowing and keep the lights on, no matter the weather. Department personnel jumped into action to handle a wide array of intra-agency efforts, incidents and operational requests. This was all thanks to proper planning and coordination well in advance of the storm’s arrival.
“The valiant efforts of our operations, logistics and field teams, who left their homes to work round the clock to restore services, are directly responsible for the avoidance of potentially catastrophic infrastructure damage. From personnel helping coordinate our response, to our Customer Service Representatives dealing with the high volume of calls, to our field crews who worked long shifts battling fatigue and inclement weather, everyone’s contribution and dedication to our customers and the communities we serve is to be commended.”
Martin L. Adams, LADWP General Manager and Chief Engineer
Department Operations Center Activated
For the first time ever, LADWP’s Department Operations Center (DOC) was put into service on Sunday, August 20 at 10:00 a.m. The DOC plays an important role as a centralized nerve center to coordinate all the response efforts between Water, Power and Joint Systems. Under the leadership of Chief Operating Officer Aram Benyamin, Chief Safety Officer Dan Aeschleman and Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Brian Lam, the DOC served as a conduit for information to the City of L.A.’s own Emergency Operations Center (EOC). LADWP employees also reported there to work 12 hours shifts as they coordinated with L.A. Fire, LAPD, Public Works and the Mayor’s Office.
“This centralized approach to emergency response helped maintain our situational awareness across all systems and allowed us to better manage and identify logistical needs for critical infrastructure via WebEx coordination calls. We operated out of the Artesian Yard in Lincoln Heights, and learned many valuable lessons that will help us improve and ensure our infrastructure remains operational during any future emergency.”
Dan Aeschleman, Chief Safety Officer
At its peak, the storm caused outages that affected about 40,000 customers. Crews had been fully staffed and were ready to respond as soon as outage calls started coming in. Additional field crews that normally work on distribution system construction projects were made available to assist Electric Trouble crews with outages. In addition, 10 Vegetation Management tree-clearing crews out of the Valley and Metro areas and one contractor also responded to downed tree incidents, which is the most frequent cause of power outages during heavy rain and wind. Without the prior deenergizing and safe removal of downed trees, repair crews cannot begin their work. In all, 19 tree-related incidents were reported.
Divisions and groups that reported to the DOC included:
- Corporate Safety
- Security Services
- Communications and Corporate Strategy
- Customer Service
- Water Engineering and Technical Services
- Water Operations
- Water Quality
- Water Distribution
- Water Resources
- Financial Services Organization
- Corporate Environmental Affairs
- Information Technology Services
- Power System Executive
- Power System Integrated Support Services
- Power System Construction and Maintenance
- Power System Planning
- Fleet and Aviation Services
- Supply Chain Services
Water Emergency Command Center
Employees in the Water System also actively monitored the status of in-basin reservoirs and Owens Valley facilities and supported incident command activities in the Aqueduct and Metro areas via the Water Emergency Command Center (WECC) located in the Central District Yard in Downtown L.A. The WECC was last activated for the East 55th Street water main break during the Christmas holiday in December of 2018.
Response and coordination efforts were led by DOC Water System Branch Directors Evelyn Cortez-Davis and Paul Liu; WECC Directors Ofelia Rubio, Delon Kwan and Steve Cole; Aqueduct Incident Commanders Adam Perez and Russell Pierson; and Metro Incident Commanders Ruben Rosales and Mario Acevedo. Under their guidance and management, staff worked with Emergency Response, Fleet, Aqueduct, Geotech and Geology staff, as well as Reservoir Surveillance experts and Communications and Corporate Strategy, to ensure the safety and integrity of L.A.’s vital water infrastructure. Water-related challenges during the storm included increased runoff from localized, in-basin flooding, increased turbidity in water flows entering the L.A. Aqueduct Filtration Plant, and extreme flooding and damage to aqueduct infrastructure in the Owens Valley. Dozens of staff made their way through almost impassible conditions to reach remote areas of the aqueduct in the middle of the night. These crews remained on site protecting the aqueduct from storm and mud flows, assessing damage, and initiating repairs throughout the month following the end of the storm. Aqueduct staff will continue to make critical repairs in the area throughout the coming months.
“Our quick aerial assessments and collaboration between LADWP groups and other government agencies in the Owens Valley helped allocate resources and equipment at an accelerated pace, and it paid off. In true form, employees responded quickly, safely and professionally, demonstrating a commitment to providing high-quality water to LADWP customers during an emergency.”
Evelyn Cortez-Davis, DOC Water System Branch Director
Adventist Health White Memorial Hospital Response
The work of LADWP crews was not limited to infrastructure alone. When a critical health facility, Adventist Health White Memorial Hospital in Boyle Heights, lost power due to an internal system failure, news outlets began showing images of vulnerable patients including newborns and the elderly being evacuated. In an act of mutual assistance, LADWP crews comprised of expert Power System employees stepped in to assist the hospital and its contractor to successfully repair and bypass the hospital’s damaged backup generators. LADWP’s Electrical Test Technicians also assisted with ensuring the operability of the new electrical equipment once the repairs were made and reconnected the hospital to the grid, restoring service at about 2:30 p.m. on August 22. Crews were proud to assist with the restoration of this important facility and demonstrate our partnership with the hospital and the community it serves.
Lessons Learned
Despite conditions that saw damage to roads and facilities, widespread flooding and downed power lines and trees, Los Angeles came through relatively unscathed with no deaths, serious injuries or extreme damages to critical infrastructure. With no further local incidents to respond to, and with plans and resources in place for Aqueduct repairs, both the DOC and the WECC were deactivated by Wednesday, August 23. This event provided valuable experience for crews and staff, including the importance of information technology assets and personnel, as well as insights into refining internal action plans. All of these lessons will greatly assist LADWP employees when they are called upon to respond to any future emergency.
Photos courtesy of Aqueduct Operations, Dawn Cotterell, Mia Rose Wong and Michael Ventre.
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This publication is written and published by the Communications and Corporate Strategy Division. For other 2022-23 issues, click the three horizontal lines icon next to the Contact logo at the top left of the document. Then click the “Editions” tab. For issues from 2000-2021, see Intranet page MyDWP/.
