A massive sinkhole that opened up in The Villages has been filled, but neighbors said it was a shocking sight to see.

A 35-foot deep hole opened up Saturday night, threatening two homes on both sides of the gaping hole.

Crews in the area worked through the night. By Sunday afternoon, the sinkhole had been stabilized, but the two nearby homes are not yet livable.

Richard Corr, who lives in one of the homes, said he was taking pictures for his neighbor, who is out of town.

"You'd heard of sinkholes all the time, but you'd never think you'd see one next to your house," Corr said.

The sinkhole was 20 feet wide in both directions.

Crews working to fill it said this particular sinkhole had a unique and challenging shape.

"It was straight up and down," said Terry White, owner of Better Mix. "Most of them are 45 degrees and they just slope in. This one had a hole in the bottom of the hole, and that's very dangerous."

It took 40 truckloads of grout, which is a mixture of sand and cement, to fill the massive hole.

"People talk about the price of your home going down, but we don't intend to move, so (we're) not worried about that," Corr said.

Crews will return Monday to pour dirt over the top of the newly filled hole. The two homeowners are expected to be able to return home in a few days.

What causes sinkholes?

Sinkholes are depressions or a collapse of the land surface as the limestone below cracks and develops fractures. Acidic waters seeping through the soil lead to the breakdown over long periods of time.

While these types of events often occur after a high accumulation of rainfall in a brief period of time, they can also take place in extremely dry conditions, as the water table below the surface drops or dries out.

Sinkhole Warning Signs

There are several signs you can watch for that may lead to the formation of a sinkhole:

  • Fresh exposure on fence posts, foundations and trees that result when the ground sinks
  • Slumping, sagging or slanting fence posts, trees or other objects
  • Doors and windows that fail to close properly
  • Ponding: Small ponds of rainfall forming where water has not collected before
  • Wilting of small, circular areas of vegetation, because the moisture that normally supports vegetation in the area is draining into a developing sinkhole below the surface
  • Turbidity in water in nearby wells
  • Structural cracks in walls, floors and pavement
  • Cracks in the ground surface.

Think you might have a sinkhole?

If you think you have a sinkhole on your property:

  • Mark and secure the hole. Keep children and pets away.
  • If the hole is directly affecting the house, stay outside of the dwelling.
  • Call your property insurance adjuster and report it immediately.
  • If the sinkhole causes extensive damage, contact your county's Office of Emergency Management.

If a sinkhole opens in a nearby road:

  • Call the local law enforcement agency immediately.
  • If the road is private, repair is the responsibility of the landowner or the property owner's association.

Source: Florida Department of Environmental Protection