CompuServe Messages

Andy, Does that area have an underlying limestone formation? That's usual where you get true sinkholes. Another thing to check would be if city sewers or water mains run under the property – if there is a leak, you can get underground washouts that look like sinkholes. Another possibility is an old well – like that kid in Texas fell into a few years back. We have an old well on our farm we had filled in which opened back up gradually, starting at a surface hole about 8-10" across, and is now about 6 feet across. The area underground is about 6-8' wide (and was that large even before the surface caved in completely. I came from Central Florida in an area well known for sinkholes, and yours sounds small for a true one. BUT they can be small! There is no reliable way to eliminate the possibility of there being underground caverns that could collapse into real sinkholes. My father is a mining engineer who, during an active period of sinkholes in central Florida, was drilling to prospect for phosphate. He had a number of people contact him about drilling prospective home sites to eliminate the possibility, but turned them all down. At that time, in one subdivision, two and a half houses were sucked into a large sinkhole, and people were very concerned. I'd check with your city and on old maps for wells, water and sewer lines. Anne