Car Falls Into Expanding Florida Sinkhole
Residents have been forced out of their homes because of the sinkhole
— -- A 10-foot deep sinkhole that has already swallowed a car and a driveway in a Florida neighborhood is now frightening the entire neighborhood.
“One minute you’re comfortable thinking about what you’re going to do for the day, and the next day you’re homeless like that lady,” Holiday, Fla., resident Laura Bowser told ABC News, referring to her neighbor, Anna Jones.
Jones says it took the ground just 15 minutes to destroy her car, a Hyundai Accent, Monday morning. Her home is now condemned, including all of her belongings that she had to leave behind, because of the danger from the encroaching sinkhole.
Six other families who live in the mobile home park community were forced to evacuate. The families spent the night in nearby hotels, wondering if their homes will be next.
“I don’t know how safe my house could be,” said Penny Sharp. “I can’t go home. We’re all in the same boat.”
The sinkhole may be one that developed in the 1940s but hadn't given way, according to the geologist working on behalf of the homeowners.
This is an early start to Florida's sinkhole season, with the porous limestone underground caving in after summer rains.