CALIFORNIA BRIEFING / LOS ANGELES

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power crews scrambled to repair three broken water mains Sunday that caused flooding in various parts of the city and cut off water to hundreds of customers, authorities said.

The first break was reported at 12:45 a.m. on 5th Avenue just south of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Leimert Park, when water spilled onto the street causing minor damage, said department spokeswoman Jane Galbraith.

About 50 customers lost water until workers restored service about 9 a.m., she said.

Workers were sent to a second break in the Harbor Gateway area shortly after 1 a.m. No street damage was reported, but water caused minor damage to a home’s driveway, Galbraith said. Sixty to 80 customers were without water, but crews expected to restore service in the early afternoon, she said.

The third break occurred on St. Andrews Place near 4th Street in Koreatown shortly before 5:30 a.m., causing minor damage to the street and cutting off water to a couple of hundred customers in nearby apartment buildings, Galbraith said. The repairs were expected to be completed by evening, she said.

-- Jack Leonard