A huge sinkhole has opened up in a Florida neighborhood.
The hole, near Scott Lake Road and Fitzgerald Road in Lakeland, Polk County, ripped open on June 8, triggering the evacuation of nearby homes.
The sinkhole is currently 75 feet and "slowly growing," Polk County officials said in a statement. Officials arrived on the scene to assess the damage, and they blocked off several roads so that vehicles couldn't go near the unstable area.
Officials determined the hole had opened up after a drilling company, which had been working on a private property in the area, hit a pressurized pocket in the ground. This caused part of the area to cave in.
The company had been digging a well, but when a depth of 180 feet was reached, "they broke through something," according to county officials who spoke at a news conference that was posted to social media by news outlet WFLA.
They had broken through a "hard layer," and then it appeared there was a void of 300 feet, the officials said.
The property owners have been on site "assessing the situation."
At the moment, there has been no damage to buildings, however some could be affected over time. One house is directly across from the sinkhole, and officials contacted the homeowners to warn them.
Sinkholes can form after rainfall percolates through the soil. As it absorbs carbon dioxide and reacts with vegetation, water can turn acidic. Over time, this can cause erosion in the ground, dissolving limestone and creating voids.
Some Lakeland residents said they weren't surprised that this happened, as it's common in the area.
Christopher Gutierrez, a resident and president of a homeowners' association in Lakeland, told local news outlet ABCActionNews: "There are a lot of sinkholes in Lakeland and in this area, so, not surprising. It was kind of shocking how fast it opened and it kept growing and growing."
Back in 2006, multiple sinkholes opened up at the bottom of a lake, causing it to completely drain. This caused damage to nearby properties and even sank a gazebo, ABCActionNews reported.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, sinkholes are more common in areas with "karst terrain." This is where the rock below the land is made of limestone, carbonate rock, salt beds, or rocks. All these materials can be dissolved by groundwater.
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