Mother Nature did a number on Piedmont's Crest Road.

Tens of thousands of dollars in damage was done to the underground utility trench from the torrential rains that fell on Oct. 13, Public Works Director Larry Rosenberg said.

The nearly 6 inches of rain that fell during the storm flooded into portions of the construction site, found its way through cracks in the sidewalk and percolated up through the street.

As a result, the 2½ feet of sand covering the conduit was disturbed or washed away. Three feet of slurry seal cap (similar to concrete) had to be removed to determine whether or not the conduit that would carry power to the residents was damaged. Luckily, it was not, Rosenberg said.

The trench portion of the project was nearly complete, but the heavy rain seeped into some open portions of the 5-foot deep trench that had been dug into solid rock.

Valley Utility of Sacramento, the project contractor, is doing the repairs that are expected to be finished by the end of next week. There also was damage to the sidewalks on Crest where slurry will be shot under the sidewalks to stabilize damaged areas.

The city is exploring the possibility of the existence of some type of insurance that might cover this situation, Rosenberg said.

Word on where the repair funds would come from might be determined by the end of this week. If so, the matter may come before the City Council on Monday for approval of a possible repair

"We need final cost estimates from the contractor," Rosenberg said.

He added that no damage was done to individual residents' property in the underground district.

The slurry and other bedding materials for the conduit are being replaced as part of the repairs.

"The whole trench had to be reopened," Rosenberg said.

The Piedmont Hills project also includes Calvert Court, Glen Alpine and Sotello roads, LaSalle Avenue, St. James Drive and a portion of Hampton Road. Those streets did not sustain damage.