(RepublicanPress.org) – In 2013, a sinkhole opened in Seffner, Florida, swallowing 36-year-old Jeff Bush while he slept soundly in his bed. Despite efforts by the man’s brother and first responders, the victim’s body was never recovered from the 20 by 30-foot chasm. Experts eventually filled the hole, but it opened up again two years later.
On July 11, Fox 13 News reported the sinkhole had opened for a third time. Police and fire crew rushed to the scene, but this time there were no casualties. After closing the hole 10 years ago, the town erected a double fence around the area to keep people and animals away from potential danger. Hillsborough County code enforcement official, John-Paul Lavandeira, said engineers would soon assess the opening. He estimated the sinkhole was about 12 by 12 feet square.
Lavandeira explained there are many ways to fill the hole, indicating the method to close this particular depression might be to fill it with gravel and liquid. He said this method allows for flexibility in case the sinkhole reopens. The official seemed to think that would occur in the future because the event was in the hands of “Mother Nature” — not man.
According to the US Geological Society (USGS), sinkholes are a rare occurrence, and they happen when the ground below simply can’t support the surface. A map on the group’s website shows a big swath of Florida is susceptible to the natural event. The USGS explained that the sinkholes in The Sunshine State typically occur as the water flows through the limestone and carries carbonate rock away, leaving a hole that grows underneath. As the cavities below the surface expand, the land above gets to a point where it has no support and collapses.
The USGS noted that Florida, Texas, Missouri, Alabama, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee see the most sinkholes in the US.
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