Sinkholes

"Help me, I think I'm falling"-Joni Mitchell lyrics to "Help Me"

Eons ago while in high school, I attended a Saturday science day in Gainsville, Florida. Sometime after lunch, we lost lights and power. We waited about an hour before the organizers cancelled further labs and everyone went home. Later the evening news revealed the cause - a large sinkhole had opened up in town swallowing a house and several cars (and I suppose a power pole or two).

Sinkholes are not uncommon in Florida. As people drink and use the underground water aquifer faster than it refills, the water level falls leaving the ground above unsupported.

Today I saw a story about a family of four killed in Quebec when the ground opened up beneath their house. The paper says a landslide ripped open the hole. Seems odd to me. Perhaps the landslide created a void as the soil poured downhill? And just like my experience, neighbors had no clue: "The landslide took place so quickly and silently on Monday night that many neighbors could not understand why their electricity and water supply had been disrupted."

The cause in Quebec is 10,000 year old clay soil that can liquefy with no warning. In 1991 the entire town of Lemieux, Ontario, near Ottawa, was relocated when officials became concerned about the stability of the clay. Two years later, a landslide consumed 42 acres near Lemieux’s former location.

Bottom Line

When buying a house, do some research to find out if sinkholes happen in your area. Also check for sinkhole flooding. This occurs when a house is built inside an ancient sinkhole and ground water backs up filling the hole - a mini flood just for your house or neighborhood! (pictured above) Check out this article from Kentucky for more details.