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Thursday, May 3, 2012

Massive sinkhole opened up in a residential neighborhood in Florida.



A Windermere-area family has been forced out of their home after a 100-foot diameter sinkhole opened up in their backyard, according to Orange County Fire Rescue. Officials declared the home unsafe after the massive depression opened just feet away from the home's rear sliding glass doors, said Fire Rescue spokeswoman Genevieve Latham.

The ground inside bowl-shaped hole caved in about 50-feet deep behind a row of houses in the Summerport subdivision off of Winter Garden Vineland Road. The homeowner told officials she was letting her dog out about 7:11 a.m. when she noticed the hole. Emergency personnel are helping the family of six -- two adults and four children -- move their belongings out of the home. No one was injured, officials said.

Latham said the property owner is now responsible for managing the problem with insurance agents. Nearby homeowners were notified about the risk that the hole could grow and put their homes in danger, Latham said.


That sinking feeling: A massive sinkhole 100-ft across appeared in the backyard of a Florida family's house
That sinking feeling: A massive sinkhole 100-ft across appeared in the backyard of a Florida family's house
Wake-up call: The home owner said she noticed the sinkhole around 7am when she let the dog out
Wake-up call: The home owner said she noticed the sinkhole around 7am when she let the dog out
The hole ends a mere three feet from the family’s two-storey house, WESH reported.
One of the homeowners discovered the pit in their backyard around 7am this morning when they let the dog out.

When the Orange County Fire Department arrived, they told the family to gather as many personal belongings as they could and evacuate.
The house was deemed unsafe to live in.
In total, two adults, four children, a cat, and a dog were evacuated.
New home: Lou Lambros' four children posed in front of the lake by their house; they had moved in only two months before
New home: Lou Lambros' four children posed in front of the lake by their house; they had moved in only two months before
Deep and wide: The hole measures around 50-ft deep
Deep and wide: The hole measures around 50-ft deep
Support system: The Lambros family is reportedly staying with friends and relatives while geologists look into the sink hole
Support system: The Lambros family is reportedly staying with friends and relatives while geologists look into the sink hole
According to clickorlando.com, the family is relying on help from friends and relatives and are living in temporary housing.
Homeowner Lou Lambros told Bay News 9 that he and his family had only been living in the home for two months.
‘The ground was just falling into the hole, and the trees were gone,’ he said. ‘It was happening very rapidly, too.’
According to WESH, geological experts are currently evaluating the hole.
Investigating: Geologists are trying to determine what exactly caused the cave-in
Investigating: Geologists are trying to determine what exactly caused the cave-in
Gone in a second: The father told a local news station that the sinkhole spread rapidly and took several trees with it
Gone in a second: The father told a local news station that the sinkhole spread rapidly and took several trees with it

THAT SINKING FEELING: WHAT ARE SINKHOES AND HOW TO THEY OCCUR?

Watch out: Florida, Texas, Alabama, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania are the states most affected by sinkholes, according to the U.S. Geological Survey
Watch out: Florida, Texas, Alabama, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania are the states most affected by sinkholes, according to the U.S. Geological Survey
Sinkholes form when the foundation below the surface layer dissolves. This commonly occurs when the rock below is dissolved by ground water. Limestone, carbonate rock, and salt beds are particular vulnerable to erosion. 
Meanwhile, the top layer of Earth usually stays intact. 
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, Florida, Texas, Alabama, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania are the states most affected by sinkholes.
While they often occur from natural causes, sinkholes can be man-made and caused by human activity. Groundwater pumping and construction are the most likely culprits.