It’s a terrible time to close a DMV office for five months with the new state-issued ID law taking effect in about three weeks, but that’s what’s happening at the Oakland Coliseum DMV office, as the site is reeling and flooded after copper wire theft and vandalism.

We knew things looked bad when we learned Tuesday morning that the Oakland Coliseum DMV office had been ransacked by copper wire thieves, whose theft of the wire left the HVAC system completely busted and the office closed until further notice. But come Wednesday morning, we learned that things are really bad at that office, so bad that the DMV office will be closed for five whole months, according to the Chronicle.  

And mind you, this is just 22 days before the Real ID deadline takes effect, requiring a new and updated form of state-issued ID to board domestic flights.

KGO has some footage from the scene of the wrecked office, where huge volumes of water are being hosed out from the flooded building to the parking lot. But more importantly, that footage also captures the staggeringly long lines at Oakland’s other DMV office on Claremont Avenue, where people now have to go because the Coliseum office is closed.

“On April 14, office staff discovered a leaking water pipe in the ceiling that caused flooding. They determined that someone had stolen wiring that cut electricity to the HVAC system and light poles in the parking lot, among other damage. The incident was reported to law enforcement,” the DMV said in their official announcement. “The office may be closed for four to five months for repairs.”

And yes, the department points out that there are other DMV offices on Oakland’s Claremont Avenue, plus in Hayward, Pleasanton and San Francisco. But the Real ID upgrade does require an in-person visit, and now there are fewer offices. The SF office is not showing any available appointment times until June, and now the agency is down another office, which cannot help.

According to the Chronicle, the DMV claims the Real ID appointment “in-person visit typically takes about 15 minutes.” Does anyone believe you can get something done at the DMV within 15 minutes? In the Bay Area, this may well result in DMV appointments being booked to the gills, months-out in advance, for who-knows-how-long into the summer and possibly beyond.

Related: Digital, Smartphone Driver’s Licenses are Coming to California [SFist]

Image: Jane B via Yelp