Crews are still monitoring a massive sinkhole in The Villages, a day after it reopened underneath part of two homes.
Engineers for the homeowner on the left of a 65-foot wide and 70-foot deep sinkhole were testing the soil Thursday, and using a type of specific type of radar to try to see what was going on underneath.
Hundreds of truckloads full of dirt and grout were brought in to try to stabilize the sinkhole since it first opened up Saturday, then reopened and expanded Wednesday.
Gina Lambert, in charge of The Villages Emergency Management, admits there's no telling what will happen. “It’s always any expert's best guess. They are basing it on past history. They are basing it on what they think is going to happen again, and at the end of the day Mother Nature does what Mother Nature wants to do.”
The repair cost, expected to be more than $200,000, is being covered by insurance of the homeowner on the right of the sinkhole, where a small hole was already being filled before the major sinkhole opened up.
A portion of that homeowner's driveway is now at the bottom of the sinkhole. Eve Mowry, the homeowner's insurance agent, said sinkhole coverage isn’t always easy to come by.
"There are way too many variables. Some areas are more sinkhole prone. Some properties already have cracking and settlement. It’s difficult for them to sort that out and a lot of carriers are not able to take that risk on,” said Mowry.
She said if you have questions to ask your carrier, and take immediate action if you notice any movement or separation of walls in your home from the ceiling.
With both homeowners out of state for the summer, insurance agents and engineers are keeping them up-to-date on long-range repair efforts, which can't be finalized until at least Friday when they are hoping the fill has stabilized.
Mowry has made sure the homeowner she represents is kept up-to-date with what's happening.
“We are taking pictures we are sending her reports, we are keeping her informed but it's difficult with her being away,” Mowry said.
Even if you don’t have sinkhole coverage, that doesn’t mean you are fully liable for sinkhole repairs. Structural damage could still be covered by your catastrophic loss section, which all insurance policies must contain.
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.