Posted on 09/08/2004 8:46:04 AM PDT by Stoat
ARCHER, Fla. -- Dozens of sink holes have opened up in north central Florida after three days of heavy rain from Hurricane Frances, including one that swallowed a Chrysler LeBaron as a man parked to get breakfast at a grocery store.
Lawrence Means, 43, had stopped for a cup of coffee and a couple of biscuits Tuesday when he felt the earth move beneath him. A sinkhole opened under his car and nearly swallowed the entire vehicle, which was left standing on its nose in the hole with only its trunk above ground.
"I felt something drop and I tried to back up but it didn't work," Means said. "I almost panicked but something just told me to get out."
The ground around the sinkhole sagged and a nearby power pole shifted occasionally.
More than two dozen sinkholes were found in Levy County, including 12 in Chiefland. Others were found in Gilchrist and Alachua counties.
A 60-foot section along State Road 26 near Newberry collapsed Tuesday, leaving a 20-foot hole. In Gainesville, a 15-by-6-foot section of a city street was washed out by fast moving water.
Sinkholes occur when sand or soil beneath the surface begins to erode and falls into underlying limestone cavities, causing the surface to collapse. Several factors may contribute to the collapse, including drought, excessive water pumping, construction or heavy rain.
It would be even more interesting if the car was to be digested as well.
And I thought I was having a bad day!
These sinkholes are nothing though. There was one down near West Palm that swallowed up about a hundred yards of I-95. It was insanely huge.
Because I was terribly unhappy about the fact that Local 6 didn't provide any thrilling sinkhole photos to complement their article, I went nosing about and was surprised to discover that there is at least one entire website devoted entirely to sinkholes
http://www.sinkhole.org/
Just about everything you might need is there, from tips on how to deal with and identify sinkholes to a discussion board so that people can network with others pertaining to issues regarding sinkholes.
I love the internet!
2 (possibly 3) hurricanes in less than three weeks . . . . now sinkholes opening up everywhere. Do you get the impression that God is inflicting the modern plagues on Florida to make sure they get the indication that he exists BEFORE the election? lol
Eight years of wondeful Clinton leadership - few sinkholes in Fla. Now look at the outbreak - gotta be Bush's fault. Global warming, I bet.
Thereby doing the owner a favor. ;)
Has Edwards filed a class action lawsuit yet?
Ernest Hemingway said (in "For Whom the Bell Tolls") that the earth only moves two (or was it three) times in a life. That's one for Mr. Means.
Thanks for your research.
There are sinkhole geeks. Who knew?
Deadly Charley Carved Through Polk County
One man was killed late Friday when his car crashed into a sink hole east of Lake Wales, said Polk County Sheriff's spokeswoman Michal Shanley.
Shanley said Jerry Padgett Jr., 61, of 2550 Walk In Water Road in Lake Wales, was eastbound on State Road 60 when he drove into a sinkhole.
Shanley said the hurricane had left part of the eastbound section of SR 60 completely washed out, forming a sinkhole about 200 feet long, 36 feet deep and nearly 25 feet wide.
Padgett's 1992 Chevy truck flipped several times, landing on its roof at the bottom of the sinkhole. Emergency officials came upon the accident shortly before midnight and Padgett, whose vehicle was partially submerged in water, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The sinkhole caused emergency officials to close SR 60 eastbound from Rifle Range Road into Lake Wales at U.S. 27, Shanley said.
Ahem
"And Lo, he stretched forth his hand and commanded the ground to swallow up 'he who taunted my cat' and it was almost so." -Book of the wanderings of Darksheare, Lament7, versus 1 and 2.
/ tasteless joke.
Pretty weird, I'd love to go and check out the spot.
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