It started with one sinkhole that opened between two mobile homes in Pasco County on November 10, 2014. In recent days, another sinkhole and possibly a third have formed nearby. News footage showed geologists walking around the perimeter of the original sinkhole performing tests to determine if the hole was indeed a “sinkhole.” I don’t know about you, but to me a gaping hole that eventually swallows a Hyundai is a sinkhole… but not so fast.
Not all sinkholes are made by mother nature. For example, in a recent blog post, I talked about organic material that caused damage similar to a sinkhole. In the case of the hole that formed in the Pasco County mobile home park recently, geologists determined that it was a true sinkhole.
The initial theory was that the sinkhole had formed decades ago. People had filled it with debris as was common practice then, and still is in pastures around the state. Eventually, the mobile home park was built. But what made this sinkhole reappear? And why did other sinkholes form so close to it?
The sinkholes may be just a natural phenomenon…but man may have a hand in it. Geologists suspect that the sinkholes were triggered by a work crew who were installing a sewer system and pump station nearby. Sometimes when water iso quickly pumped out of the ground, it lowers the water table causing the earth above an underground cavity to collapse forming a sinkhole.
