POK COUNTY, Fla. – Fire crews in Polk County are monitoring a sinkhole that opened up in a resident’s front yard this weekend.
The county fire rescue posted pictures of the sinkhole Saturday on Facebook.
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The sinkhole opened at a home on Royal Crest Drive in Highland City, a community southeast of Lakeland.
Fire crews say the hole was about 15 feet wide and 60 feet deep.
As of right now, the sinkhole is not a threat to the nearby road, but crews are monitoring it over the next few days to make sure it doesn’t get any bigger.
How do sinkholes form?
Florida law defines a sinkhole as “a landform created by subsidence of soil, sediment, or rock as underlying strata are dissolved by groundwater. A sinkhole forms by collapse into subterranean voids created by dissolution of limestone or dolostone or by subsidence as these strata are dissolved.”
Geologically, Florida’s land is made up of porous limestone, a key part of the state’s drinking water system, the Florida aquifer system.
When water like rain flows through the porous limestone, it slowly dissolves the aquifer’s limestone forming a landscape called karst, known for springs, streams and even sinkholes.
In fact, some of Florida’s lakes are actually sinkholes, like Lake Eola in Orlando.
The water flows through the limestone, sometimes collecting in the joints of the stone, but as more limestone dissolves from the water, those joints become wider, weakening the ground support. Eventually, the ground collapses, causing a sinkhole to form.
Lots of things can lead to this happening, according to meteorologist Samara Cokinos: flooding, pumping water from the ground, extended droughts or land development are thought to be factors.
Florida is one of the most common states for sinkholes, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
By Florida law, property insurers are required to cover a home if there is a catastrophic ground collapse caused by a sinkhole, but they are not required to cover less severe damage, for instance, if a sinkhole somewhere on your property causes the ground to sink slowly, causing cracks to form in the foundation or even the walls. You can purchase a sinkhole coverage rider to help if that happens.
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