Sections of a building at a resort near an Orlando, Florida theme park district collapsed into a sinkhole late Sunday, forcing the evacuation of guests. Dozens of visitors staying in two adjacent three-story buildings were also evacuated. Sinkhole in Florida: Report The sinkhole ingested part of Summer Bay Resort in Clermont, Florida. “I was in the tub when the ‘boom’ went off and the tub literally popped up and came down,” Debbie Ward told MyFoxOrlando, recalling the experience. “She thought it was an earthquake and got out of the tub, and could “hear the cracking and the ceiling and glass breaking and we decided to get out as soon as possible.” Engineers have been drilling to see if the land has stabilized. Paul Caldwell, the owner, says one building was destroyed. Back in March, a Florida sinkhole killed a man when it opened up near his Hillsborough County home. The sinkhole prompted evacuations in the neighborhood. Sinkholes are as much a part of the Florida landscape as palm trees and alligators, especially in recent years. Florida has more than any state in the nation. Experts say sinkholes aren’t occurring at a greater rate than usual but that the high-profile nature of recent one in populated areas has drawn attention to them. So how does it happen? Much of Florida is made up of porous carbonate rocks such as limestone that store and help move groundwater. Dirt, sand and clay sit on top of that rock. Over time, these rocks can dissolve from an acid created from oxygen in water, creating a void underneath the limestone roof, creating the sinkhole. When the dirt, clay or sand gets too heavy for the limestone roof, it can collapse. Sinkholes are caused naturally but they can be triggered by outside events. Heavy rain, drought followed by heavy rainfall, tropical storms and human activity – such as overuse of groundwater, drilling, excavating and construction – can contribute.
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Sinkhole in Florida: Buildings Collapse Near Orlando Theme Park Area
