I have not gotten used to sinkholes because they scare me.
I have watched these holes swallow houses and cars in Florida.
How can we prevent
sinkholes in Florida
?
We can stop sinkholes by controlling the amount of water we use at home, especially if you reside in places that have little water supply.
How can we prevent sinkholes in Florida?
Reduce the quantity of water you use if the region you live in is drought-prone.
The underground water goes a long way to prevent sinkholes because it fills the cracks and holes that would have been empty spaces.
Where the water is not there, there will be a space into which the soil and rocks above will sink, and sinkholes will be created.
Florida has always lived with sinkholes due to the geological conditions beneath its surface.
The
subterranean limestone
in its underground is dissolved by groundwater, creating underground spaces that result in land cave-ins and collapses, called sinkholes.
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Recent activities like the growing population, new construction, and changes in the water supply system of Florida contributed to triggering sinkhole activities.
Anytime a life is lost in any building destroyed by a sinkhole, it becomes national news.
Sinkhole occurrences
When one man lost his life to a sinkhole tragedy in Florida, the concern about the strength of Florida’s land started to grow among most homeowners.
There has been an increase in the number of phone calls received by insurance companies, and sinkhole repair companies.
Sinkholes came to be as a result of dissolved and eroded limestone beneath the earth’s surface which will result in the depression of the earth’s surface, and the creation of a sinkhole.
The sinkhole is a global problem.
It is more prevalent in places with limestone, salt beds, carbonated or other types of rock that are soluble in water under the ground.
As the sediments are washed away by water, empty spaces are created underground.
The sinkhole is very dangerous because a land surface you think is strong and intact can suddenly cave in without any sign or warning when the rock supporting it underground is gone.
Types of Sinkholes
The three kinds of sinkholes in existence are; solution sinkholes, subsidence sinkholes, and cover-collapse sinkholes.
Solution sinkholes
When rainwater washes away the limestone beneath a small layer of soil solution sinkholes will start forming on the surface.
When sand is the main component of the soil layer that covers the limestone bedrock, water will wash away the limestone and create a vacuum, the sand on the surface will sink into the space, and subsidence sinkholes are created.
Cover-collapse sinkhole
Cover-collapse sinkhole is the most dangerous sinkhole.
It comes to be when there is a deeper soil layer, more cohesive than sand, over the sinkhole.
The space underground will be covered by soil consolidated by clay and root content, thereby illusively hiding a subterranean cavern.
With time it will collapse without notice when its weight increases or becomes too weak to support the surface over it.
Man-made sinkhole
Man-made activities like the collapse of abandoned mining sites, water main breaks in cities, collapsed sewage pipes, and over-extraction of groundwater contribute to sinkhole activities.
Sinkholes are raising concerns
in new urban developments because many natural waterways have been altered and water is finding new causes for itself.
Are there any signs of sinkhole activity in my home?
When sinkholes gradually form under your house it may result in foundation settlement.
You will start noticing signs of sinkhole activity which include;
Leaks in the ceiling and roof.
Nails popping.
or out-of-level floors, slabs, sidewalks, or driveways.
Obvious low or sunken areas on your property.
Cracks on foundation walls
Cracks in drywall, mostly at the top corners of windows and doors.
Mildew or wet areas around the foundation.
Windows/doors that stop closing properly because of settlement or skewed openings.
What should I do if I suspect sinkhole activity in my home?
Call your
insurance company immediately if you notice signs of sinkhole
formation in your house.
It is most likely they will contract an adjustor to take care of the matter, and call a structural engineer to inspect the house.
From his findings, the engineer will come up with a report which must include ways of remedying the situation, if the need be.
The insurance company will get quotes from foundation repair contractors with this report.
The insurance company should get not less than three quotes, and they must be from local construction companies that have experience and are known in the field of sinkhole damage repairs.
The companies have to visit the building to thoroughly inspect it.
Their proposal will be based on the recommendations made by the structural engineer.
This is when a preferred contractor from among the three will be chosen.
The contractor will be responsible for filing all necessary documents and obtaining all necessary permits.
When the contractor is through with the job, he will hand it over with an engineering completion report, as well as warranties and guarantees.
Home insurance companies in Florida and
Tennessee
for instance make sinkhole coverage optional.
The policy covers paying for the cost of repairing the foundation of your building and getting the soil stabilized.
For you to be indemnified, you must be able to establish that your building has suffered structural damage resulting from sinkhole activity or is at risk of sinking into a sinkhole at any moment.
FAQs
What is the deepest sinkhole in Florida?
The biggest sinkhole ever known to man was the sinkhole that grew as wide as 350ft and as deep as 75ft.
What is the largest sinkhole ever recorded in Florida?
The biggest sinkhole in Florida occurred in 1981.
It sank a house, a part of a Porsche dealership, many businesses, and a public swimming pool.
It caused estimated damage of about $4 million.
Today the sinkhole is a lake, known as Lake Rose.
The lake is named after Mae Rose Owens, the owner of the house that sank.
What city in Florida has the most sinkholes?
The cities that have the most sinkholes in Florida are three cities in the Tampa region.
They are known as sinkhole alleys.
Between 2006 and 2010 they were responsible for two-thirds of the
sinkhole damage claims filed with the state
Office of Insurance Regulation, and these cities are Hernando, Hillsborough, and Pasco.