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Author Topic: Florida Sink Holes  (Read 41956 times)

Offline zorgon

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Florida Sink Holes
« on: August 26, 2012, 01:39:11 am »

Offline zorgon

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Re: Florida Sink Holes
« Reply #1 on: August 27, 2012, 01:51:01 pm »
Have a look at this map... see the blue areas? If you live over any of those blue areas you may get sucked into the Earth :P



So lets look at Florida.... and take a look at that strip from Google Earth

Google Look at Sinkholes
Avon Park , Florida
+27° 35' 52.48", -81° 29' 48.78"


Now the developers will sell you nice LAKE FRONT property (and you thought it was swampland :P )


Avon Park Overview showing many existing water filled sinkholes. Most of Florida looks like this from satellite view

But those are not lakes... well not NORMAL lakes anyway


Avon Park Closer View of some larger sinkholes

That's right... those are SINK HOLES filled with water from beneath. Just look at how round all those lakes are and you will see the truth.


Avon Park very deep and round sinkhole

Go on... look on GE... you can see the signs of new sinkholes in the making... like THIS


Avon Park, Northwest Corner... new sinkholes and signs of others ready to break open

Can "X-Ray Vision" (Advanced Visual Inspection Methodology) Indicate Imminent Sinkhole Collapse - Visual & Other Clues Indicating the Risk of Sinkholes in Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania & Elsewhere



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The bare minimum that a property owner needs to know about sinkholes or any other sudden subsidence of soils at a property is that these conditions might be very dangerous. Someone falling into a sink hole or into a collapsing septic tank could be seriously injured or even die. If a suspicious hole, subsidence, or depression appears at a property the owner should rope off and prevent access to the area to prevent anyone from falling into the opening, and then should seek prompt assistance from a qualified expert, geotechnical engineer, septic contractor, excavator, or the like.

Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, Repair, & Problem Prevention Advice - Huge Data Base on Sinkholes around the USA

Sinkhole Information Site







Offline zorgon

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Re: Florida Sink Holes
« Reply #2 on: August 27, 2012, 01:56:18 pm »
Winter Park, Florida


Photograph by A. S. Navoy.
Sinkhole at Winter Park, Florida (1981) that formed catastrophically in the time span of one day.  The city of Winter Park stabilized and sealed the sinkhole, converting it into an urban lake.  These features occur in what is known as karst topography, which is common in Florida, Kentucky, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.


Florida Sinkholes


Two Sinkholes in Florida that were very selective.


Florida has more sinkholes than any other state...
Sinkholes: What is a sinkhole?


Quote
Sinkholes are depressions or holes in the land surface that occur throughout west central Florida. They can be shallow or deep, small or large, but all are a result of the dissolving of the underlying limestone.

Hydrologic conditions, including lack of rainfall, lowered water levels, or, conversely, excessive rainfall in a short period of time, can all contribute to sinkhole development. More facts about sinkholes can be found in the District’s Sinkhole Brochure.

View the Department of Environmental Protection's sinkhole database

Sinkholes are a common naturally occurring geologic phenomenon and one of the predominant land forms in Florida.



The Making of a Sinkhole

Many of the lakes in Florida are relic sinkholes. Sinkholes can be classified as geologic hazards sometimes causing extensive damage to structures and roads resulting in costly repairs. Sinkholes can also threaten water supplies by draining unfiltered water from streams, lakes and wetlands directly into the aquifer (underground water supply).
What if a sinkhole opens on my property?

    If your home is threatened, contact your homeowners insurance company.
    If extensive damage occurs to your house or property, notify the Office of Emergency Management for the county.
    If desired, the resident may make contact with a private contractor to evaluate the hole to officially determine if it is a sinkhole.

Sinkhole data and maps:
Florida Department of Environmental Protection

More information about sinkholes:
Florida Sinkhole Research Institute

Contact the Institute at UCF’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Department
P.O. Box 162450, Orlando, FL 32816-2450
phone: (407) 823-2280

Offline zorgon

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Re: Florida Sink Holes
« Reply #3 on: August 27, 2012, 02:01:52 pm »
Quote
Sinkholes are a common feature of Florida's landscape. They are only one of many kinds of karst landforms, which include caves, disappearing streams, springs, and underground drainage systems, all of which occur in Florida. Karst is a generic term which refers to the characteristic terrain produced by erosional processes associated with the chemical weathering and dissolution of limestone or dolomite, the two most common carbonate rocks in Florida. Dissolution of carbonate rocks begins when they are exposed to acidic water. Most rainwater is slightly acidic and usually becomes more acidic as it moves through decaying plant debris.


Winter Park, Florida, 1981

Quote
Limestones in Florida are porous, allowing the acidic water to percolate through their strata, dissolving some limestone and carrying it away in solution. Over eons of time, this persistent erosional process has created extensive underground voids and drainage systems in much of the carbonate rocks throughout the state. Collapse of overlying sediments into the underground cavities produces sinkholes.


A picture of the side of a sinkhole showing its strata

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A picture of a cave showing stalagtites and stalagmites When groundwater discharges from an underground drainage system, it is a spring, such as Wakulla Springs, Silver Springs, or Rainbow Springs. Sinkholes can occur in the beds of streams, sometimes taking all of the stream's flow, creating a disappearing stream. Dry caves are parts of karst drainage systems that are above the water table, such as Marianna Caverns.


A picture of a cave showing stalagtites and stalagmites

Suggested reading: Lane, Ed, 1986, Karst in Florida: Florida Geological Survey Special Publication 29, 100 p.

SOURCE:  Florida Department of Environmental Protection's sinkhole database

Cover-collapse Sinkhole near Ocala , Florida


Credit: Sinkhole.org

Existing Sinkholes Water Filled



Blue Grotto is actually a sinkhole with good visibilty.  Depths reach 100 ft. Upon entering the sink you will encounter a very large cavern with writing on the walls. At a depth of 30 feet there is a fresh air bell so you can take off your mask and breath some fresh air. Continuing down, there is a large shaft that slopes down at a 90 degree angle.  At around 90 feet you will encounter silt that can be easily stired up. There are lights at 30 ft to illuminate the cavern. The owner, is very friendly and also manufactures dive, wreck and video lights...

Source: http://underwaterflorida.homestead.com/grotto.html

For More on the Underwater Sinkholes, Caves and Springs See Here
For More on Florida Caverns See Here

Offline zorgon

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Re: Florida Sink Holes
« Reply #4 on: August 27, 2012, 02:07:38 pm »
I checked out some of those sinkholes back in the 70's just after I got dive certified in Toronto. It was my first open water dive :D A friend of my instructor ran a dive shop in Florida and took us into the holes and some other interesting places, like a cave where the Nurse sharks go in to get high on fresh water and one where there was an old civil war gun boat that had whiskey bottles on board ( he didn't share the spoils :P )


The Blue Grotto, Florida 16-JAN-2006 Copyright 2003 by Philip Lewin. All rights reserved


The Blue Grotto, Florida 16-JAN-2006  Copyright 2003 by Philip Lewin. All rights reserved


Blue Grotto Springs Cavern by Gregg Carter
(Looking skyward at the mouth of the cavern from 35 feet down) (Jan 10, 2007, Williston, FL)

Offline zorgon

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Re: Florida Sink Holes
« Reply #5 on: August 27, 2012, 02:14:20 pm »
Florida Spring Caverns Photo Gallery

These holes are everywhere :P


Blue Springs Entrance Hole


Blue Springs


Cow Springs Entrance Hole


Cow Springs


Little River Springs Entrance Hole


Peacock Springs Entrance Hole


Peacock Springs Entrance Hole


Telford Springs Entrance Hole


Telford Springs Entrance Hole Looking up


Telford Springs 


Divers in Weeki Wachee Springs


Manatee Springs Entrance Hole
A first magnitude spring, over 100 million gallons of water gush forth daily at Manatee Springs. In winter, manatees swim upriver to spend the night in the warm waters of the headspring. Popular for snorkeling and scuba diving, the headwaters of the spring are also a great spot for swimming. The spring run forms a sparkling stream that meanders through hardwood wetlands to the Suwannee River - Manatee Springs State Park



Black Water Mixing with Clear
A unique aspect of the Florida black water rivers, particularly the Suwannee and its tributary, the Sante Fe River, is that these dark waters receive some of the clearest water in the world from the springs of the Florida aquifer. The mixing zone of this crystal-clear water with the tannin-stained water of the rivers looks fairly unusual from underwater, as shown in the picture below. - NASA


Lots more here
The Caves of Florida
Florida's Underwater Caves and Springs
..Existing Water Filled Sinkholes 


Offline zorgon

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Re: Florida Sink Holes
« Reply #6 on: August 27, 2012, 02:19:20 pm »
Sinkholes in Clearwater Florida are structurally dangerous.

I buy unrepaired sinkhole homes in Clearwater Florida.  (813) 232-2400



Quote
If you notice a sinkhole on your property immediately call your insurance company.  They will send out a professional to assess the danger and damage.  We are investors who  specialize in sinkhole damaged houses.  We will purchase your unrepaired sinkhole house for fair market value.  The value of your house will decrease 20% to 30% from that of a non sinkhole house.  The cost of repairs can be over a 100,000.00 dollars and sinkhole issues may continue for years.  If you would like to opt out of your financial sinkhole. We buy Sinkhole houses in Clearwater Florida.

Sinkhole homes generally experience cracking in the walls and ceilings as well as indentations in the lawn and slopping in the floors.  The structural damage caused by a sink hole can be dangerous and life threatening.  It is rare to have a home collapse into a sink hole but it has happened.  If you see a sink hole on your property immediately rope it off and call your insurance company and your local water company. 



Quote
Recently a home collapsed into a sink hole in Clearwater Florida.  Attached are some photos of this homes.  This home has been all over the news and it frightened many people.  Sinkholes can be serious and dangerous.  If you experience a sinkhole do not hesitate to call your insurance company who will send out engineers to assess the damage to the home or property.  Holes that appear to be minor can be many feet deep.  A small child or animal could become trapped in a sinkhole.  The home itself could possible become unstable and collapse.  Be aware of the issues that are most prevalent in Florida counties such as Clearwater Florida. 



Quote
Call the insurance company and listen to their assessment.  If you are dissatisfied with their determinations contact a lawyer immediately.  A lawyer will be able to appeal the determination made by the insurance company.  If you find that the insurance company is refusing to pay for the repairs and claiming that the damage is due to a storm drain or another natural situation call an sink hole attorney.  On close investigation it may be found that the drain just irritated a pre=existing sinkhole issue.  Sinkholes can be repaired but the costs can be hundreds of thousands of dollars.  The quicker the situation is assessed the less damage to the structure of the home.  Call me if you are concerned about your sinkhole home and are interested in selling it as is.  I am looking to purchase sink hole homes in  Florida.  We are Sinkhole home buyers in Florida.



Sinkholes in Clearwater Florida are structurally dangerous.

Offline zorgon

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Re: Florida Sink Holes
« Reply #7 on: August 27, 2012, 02:26:57 pm »






"Florida SINKHOLE Home Buyer, 3 Day CA$H Closings!"

Lake goes down the drain as sinkholes appear
Fish die, other wildlife scramble to survive in Fla.; one hole is 200 feet wide


Quote
LAKELAND, Fla. — Two giant sinkholes almost completely drained a lake, leaving dead fish rotting on oozing mud flats and alligators and snapping turtles fighting for their lives.

Scott Lake began draining last week, and the larger of the two sinkholes grew this week to at least 200 feet wide and 15 feet deep, claiming a dock, concrete walkway and chain-link fence.

“It’s heartbreaking,” said Linda Logan, a member of a local homeowners’ association.

The 291-acre natural lake is owned by the surrounding homeowners south of Lakeland, 30 miles east of Tampa. Residents formed a committee to figure out what to do.

The lake could be restored. If the sinkholes are filled in, rain and runoff would refill the lake, but that could take years, and experts say they would have to wait for the lake to finish draining first.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy


Sinkholes draining Florida lake - US news - Life - NBC News

Offline zorgon

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Re: Florida Sink Holes
« Reply #8 on: August 27, 2012, 02:30:21 pm »


January 9, 2011
Florida Sinkhole Claims Are Under Attack by the Insurance Companies





Small Florida Sink Hole


Quote
The state of Florida is plagued with sink holes. The one pictured below is a small sink hole in Lake County. This time of the year (early spring) is considered the "dry period" in Florida. With lack of rain and the drain on the underground water sources, pockets are formed underground which give way, creating huge holes. The appearance of sink holes is not predictable, like this one.

Before homes are built, it's common to have experts test the ground for potential sink holes. Many Florida homeowners have sink hole coverage in their home owner insurance policy. It's not uncommon for a home to "settle" into the ground due to these conditions, creating cracks in the structure and foundation.

Small Florida Sink Hole

Offline zorgon

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Re: Florida Sink Holes
« Reply #9 on: August 27, 2012, 02:33:01 pm »


Naples Florida Sinkhole Warning Signs

    Cracking of the Exterior Walls (possible Stair-Step Pattern).
    Cracking in Exterior Porches, Decks, Sidewalks or Driveways.
    Cracking Around In-Ground Pools and/or Pool Decks.
    Separation of the Foundation from the Soil.
    Cracking of the Interior Walls, Ceilings and Floors.
    Cracking Around the Frames of Doors, Windows or in Corners.
    Separation of the Walls from the Floor or Ceiling.
    Tilting, Unleveling or Sinking of the Floor.
    Doors or Windows Sticking or Jamming or not otherwise working correctly.
    Unexplained or Unusual Water Stains on the Floor or Walls or the Ceiling.
    Unusual or Rapidly Developing Depressions on the Ground in or around your Property – which repeatedly re-form despite filling them.
    Slanting of Trees or Landscaping or Fence Posts or a Noticeable Change to Anything Affixed to the Ground.
    Excessive “Standing” Water in Your Yard / Lawn or Exposure of Tree Roots or Dying Vegetation.
    Unexplained Loud Sounds (As Your House is Slowly Pulling Apart).
    Known Sinkhole Activity in Your Neighborhood.

Naples Sinkhole Claim

Offline Littleenki

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Re: Florida Sink Holes
« Reply #10 on: August 27, 2012, 04:00:09 pm »
Great thread, Zorgon! We live in pinellas county, and here there isnt the same penchant for sinkholes, but they do occur.

After Debby a neighbor saw his back yard sink down 2 feet, and for a couple days he had waterfront property!

Folks came in, pumped it full of something like concrete, and now hes a happy camper.

Weve had a lot of rain lately, so Ill be watching out for my waterfront spot on the canal that forms...and then I can launch my boat without a trailer!LOL!

Ginnie Springs is my favorite dive spot, and blue springs is nearby...great caving and snorkeling even!

Le
Hermetically sealed, for your protection

sfth13

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Re: Florida Sink Holes
« Reply #11 on: November 08, 2012, 05:48:27 pm »
wow ... cool thread ... makes me want to move if i could... but that's another story... i'm in a green area II.... but i have noticed my house is sort of sinking or settling with some drywall cracking.... but it's a newer home and they did fill the lot before they built so i'm sure that the reason ...but i'm still a little weary about the entire sink hole thing...i'd rather come home from work and see a hole then wake up and be in one  8)

sky otter

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Re: Florida Sink Holes
« Reply #12 on: March 01, 2013, 03:14:59 pm »


really sad story today..pictures at the link



http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/01/17145165-sinkhole-sucks-florida-man-from-his-bedroom-into-the-earth?lite=

Sinkhole sucks Florida man from his bedroom into the earth


By Elizabeth Chuck and Ian Johnston, NBC News
Officials and engineers are searching an unstable area of land after a sinkhole enveloped a Florida man’s bedroom in the middle of the night, sucking him down into the earth.


Follow @NBCNewsUSThe victim, identified by local media as Jeffrey Bush, 36, has not been heard from since he screamed as a 20-foot-deep by 20-foot-wide hole opened underneath his family’s Hillsborough County home late Thursday.

The sinkhole swallowed part of the interior of the house but left the exterior remarkably intact.

“They heard a sound they described as a car crash emanating from the bedroom,” Hillsborough County Fire Chief Ron Rogers said at a Friday morning news conference outside the Seffner, Fla., house. “They rushed in. All they could see was part of a mattress sticking out of the hole. Essentially, the floor of the room had opened.”

At that point, Jeremy Bush, the missing man's brother, jumped into the hole to try to rescue him, Rogers said.

Rescue personnel arrived on the scene and were able to free Jeremy, but not Jeffrey. They were forced to abandon the house as the ground continued shifting overnight. Once they came back with an engineering team and better equipment, they resumed their efforts.

On Friday morning, Rogers refused to discuss the possibility Jeffrey Bush was not alive. “The sooner we can locate the victim and determine his status, the better.”

However, he added, "We have to make sure we don't endanger other personnel or other people in the process. It doesn't help to compound the situation."

According to The Tampa Bay Times, there were five adults, one child, and two dogs inside the house when the sinkhole tore through it; all the other members of the household escaped safely and returned on Friday, dazed, as rescue workers worked around the house, The Tampa Bay Times reported.

"I just wanted to get my brother back," Jeremy Bush told the newspaper of his efforts last night to rescue his brother. "That's all I wanted."

Standing with his aunt, Janell Wheeler, in front of the house, he added, "I couldn't do anything. Everything in the room was gone."

Wheeler, clad in her pajamas, said, "It's a dream, right?"

Flanking the county's fire chief at Friday's news conference in front of the Bush home was Bill Bracken, president of Bracken Engineering, a Florida-based firm called in to assist with the rescue. Bracken told reporters that while the sinkhole itself was 20 feet wide, its “safety zone” – the land around it that was considered unstable – extended out 100 feet. 

“It started in the bedroom and has been expanding, taking the house with it,” he said.

Engineers are capturing three-dimensional photos of the soil and receiving other data to figure out the best way to stop the spread of the sinkhole, Bracken said.

Despite the home's instability, photos of the neighborhood showed little destruction.

"Ultimately, it looks just like a normal neighborhood," Hillsborough County spokesman Willie Puz said. "The sinkhole is still under the footprint of the home itself. You can’t see anything from the exterior. There’s been a lot of helicopters that have been flying overhead, but if you look down, it just looks like a normal house and neighborhood.”

The Bush family and neighbors on both sides have been evacuated and are receiving assistance from The Red Cross. Officials did not know if the neighborhood, located near Tampa, has had problems with sinkholes in the past.

Sinkholes are relatively common in Florida, but do not always cause injury or major disruption.

"Florida is made out of limestone. There's a lot of groundwater that goes through the limestone and can erode the limestone away. As the water table rises and falls, sometimes those voids in the limestone can't support the weight that is on top of them, and they cave in," Puz said, adding that there are numerous other scenarios that can cause sinkholes.

Some sinkholes form depressions in the ground first; some collapse immediately. In this family's case, Puz said, "it happened very quickly," but officials don't know what processes were happening underground, and for how long, before the sinkhole ripped open their home.

Officials were not able to give an estimate of how much larger this particular sinkhole could grow to be.

"A lot of it just depends on what's going on way below us," Rogers said at Friday's news conference. "The question really is what's down there, and how much earth is it going to take to fill it? That's what we're trying to gather with the equipment we brought in."

Rescue efforts are underway in Florida to find a missing man who may be in a sinkhole that swallowed at least two bedrooms of the house. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.

Offline hoss58

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Re: Florida Sink Holes
« Reply #13 on: March 01, 2013, 05:46:30 pm »
 :'(  No longer a rescue effort, switch to recovery, even that is doubtful as the sinkhole is so unstable they can't get near it.  The guy was gone out of site almost immediately.

The crazy thing is the house shows no sign of anything , no cracks , no sags ,the house looks untouched yet the entire sinkhole is inside the house.


The engineers are stumped as to why the house is still standing .
When you die you will find out that John Lear was right..........Hoss

Offline The Matrix Traveller

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Re: Florida Sink Holes
« Reply #14 on: March 01, 2013, 07:54:31 pm »
In NZ some extreme adventurists go "Potholing".

For those who don't know what potholing is...

Potholing is where "Cavers" find small openings in the ground, often like "Cracks" one can squeeze through.

They anchor a rope securely, and then enter the crack in the earth.

Often one will drop into an opening some hundred meters deep, which leads into a cave Complex.

So it must be remembered that the Earths crust is NOT Solid at all, but is rather like
a Swiss Cheese full of holes.

Often these networks of caves are the result of water finding its way down through the crust.

In fact we have a huge underground river some 300 Meters + below where I live.

This River flows underground from the mid Island Plateau, out to where the Island shelf drops
into some of the deepest waters in the world.

Where the water exits from this unground river into the sea, is perhaps a couple of Km across.

So no wonder we find Sink Holes all over the Earth.

The Earth is NOT as solid as most my assume.

A fascinating place this Earth....  LOL.
« Last Edit: March 01, 2013, 07:56:45 pm by The Matrix Traveller »

 


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