Sinkholes have opened up in a Florida neighborhood, forcing the evacuation of eight homes in Ocala, WOFL-TV reported.
The sinkholes started in a retention pond last week at the Wynchase complex of Fore Ranch subdivision in Ocala. When city engineers drained the pond, they were stunned to find more cracks below the surface, WOFL-TV wrote.
"It's gonna take a lot of work because it took a lot of time on that one back there," Wynchase resident Kevin Sherlock told the television station.
According to WFTV, more than a dozen sinkholes have opened in Ocala in the past two weeks. The sinkholes could be connecting directly to the aquifer underneath, which means a bigger sinkhole could be slowly developing.
"Initial smaller cavities seem to be coming together," Manoj Chopra, a University of Central Florida geotechnical engineer professor, said to WFTV about the possible cause of Ocala's sinkhole problem.
According to the Florida Geological Survey, sinkholes are a common feature of Florida's landscape, produced by erosional processes associated with the chemical weathering and dissolution of limestone or dolomite, the two most common carbonate rocks in the state.
The survey said the dissolution of carbonate rocks begins when they are exposed to acidic water, adding that most rainwater is slightly acidic and usually becomes more acidic as it moves through decaying plant debris.
The local home owners association paid thousands to fill sinkholes in another area in 2012, but could face more cost this time, WOFL-TV reported. The city engineer told the television station that the hole cannot be filled until they know the ground has settled.
Subsurface test results should be back Wednesday. Until then, the American Red Cross has assisted displaced families who have been evacuated, the television station said.
WFTA wrote that warning signs may occur before the sinkhole appears, such as window and doors in homes may stop closing properly, cavities may start developing in yards and gardens and unusual sounds may happen around a home because the ground is moving.
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