As water quickly rose along the well-known shopping corridor late in the morning, store owners said their shops filled up within minutes. Shop owners were told a plan was in place to protect their stores, but that plan clearly failed.
"I saw the water was coming up, and then it didn't take long, maybe 20 minutes, 30 minutes, and our whole store was full of water," said Yaffa, the owner of Posers Hollywood. "We were not prepared... because the city said they brought pumps and people to take care of it, that's why we thought it was going to be OK, but it wasn't."
Fairfax businesses still cleaning up after flood damage
Nearby, Media Wine and Liquors also took on water.
"It was really horrible. The water, it was up to the base right there, about a foot," said Aron Askor of Media Wine and Spirits. "It just sat there. There was no movement, there was no drainage."
"Our paint is already coming apart. I 100% know there is already a lot of water behind the walls," said Naz Basmadjian, the owner of the BunBun.
The BunBun had just reopened two weeks ago after another forced remodel when a car slammed into a nearby fire hydrant, sending enough water onto the restaurant's roof to cause it to collapse.
Large blue city trucks pre-positioned in the area were intended to act as vacuums to clear standing water along the floodprone stretch of Melrose.
Domenic DeLuca, the owner of Brooklyn Projects, said he watched the water creep past the sidewalk and into his store.
"First started going over the sidewalk, and I'm thinking, 'Well, the trucks are here, so we're going to be good.' But that didn't work," DeLuca said. "The water started coming up, and then eventually it started really coming up -- and then the whole store was underwater from front to back, like 4 to 5 inches of water."
"I've been complaining about this for years. Finally, eight months ago, the mayor sent these trucks just to our neighborhood right here," DeLuca continued.
With water rising into his store while he stared at the trucks he fought the city to bring in through his rain-soaked surveillance cameras, DeLuca said he was furious.
"I'm looking at my camera, there was nobody here," he said. "We ran out like, 'Is this guy not seeing what's going on?' Nobody in this one, nobody in this one, nobody around."
L.A. Public Works and L.A. Sanitation and Environment disputed that accusation, saying the Vactor truck remained fully staffed and was not unattended. They sent the following statement sent to Eyewitness News:
"L.A. Sanitation and Environment (LASAN) is aware of, and actively addressing, flooding affecting properties along Melrose Avenue, between Vista Street and Martell Avenue.
LASAN crews proactively deployed to the area ahead of the storm, working around the clock to clear catch basins, remove debris, and mitigate flooding. A powerful, sudden and fast-moving storm system associated with an atmospheric river condition produced excessive amounts of rain that temporarily overwhelmed the stormwater system. The local rain gauges showed over 3/4" of rain in a one hour period. These gauges are in the proximity of the location. LASAN equipment and crews remained on scene to address any further impacts.
The large Vactor truck on site during the storm was designated as backup equipment. It remained fully staffed throughout the duration of the storm and was not unattended.
LASAN will continue to coordinate with business owners to ensure they have sandbags, are aware of future repairs, and have contact information for reporting flooding or other issues and to address questions or concerns."
Cellphone video later showed a crew opening a manhole cover, allowing water to swirl and drain within seconds. But by that point, the damage had already spread through multiple shops.
Boxes of brand-new, sopping wet merchandise piled up on the sidewalk on Monday and dripped on store shelves.
"So basically, anything that's a size medium or large or extra-large, it's all a couple inches off the ground. It all got wet. I can't sell it now. I can't take it to the cleaners. It's for like donations, so I'm screwed," DeLuca said.
Business owners say they are now out tens of thousands of dollars.
Eyewitness News watched as city workers returned to the area on Monday evening, placing cones and pre-positioning sandbags ahead of another round of storms.
Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky called LASAN's response to the storm inadequate and unacceptable, and is now calling for a complete review of what went wrong.
She sent Eyewitness News the following statement.
"This was completely unacceptable. LASAN confirmed ahead of the storm that pump trucks and crews would be staged and actively responding, as they have successfully done in the past. Instead, the response was delayed, inadequate, and local businesses were left dealing with flooding and damage.
We have demanded an immediate review from LASAN to determine exactly what happened, who was responsible for the breakdown, and what corrective actions will be taken right now. We expect answers and we expect immediate change. This cannot happen again."