Dangers Below: Unveiling the Threat of Sinkholes in Florida

Sinkholes are amazing harmful unforeseeable natural catastrophes. Florida has numerous sinkhole occurrences, brought on by its limestone soil weakening with dried up water pockets in it. Similar to every other natural catastrophe, sinkholes do take lives. Sinkholes tend to most occur in the mid-Florida to Tampa location. Though sinkholes are not really discussed or are regular occurrences, they do take place and lots of people do not understand what they are. A sinkhole is a natural hole that forms in the Earth's surface area as a result of the chemical wear and tear of carbonate rocks like limestone, as well as salt beds or rocks that can be severely weathered as water goes through them.

Sinkholes develop when sub-surface rock establishes a hole or space due to erosion, gradually soil from above seeps to fill the void in the rock, developing an open location or void in the sub-surface soil (" Staff").

Chemical weathering and loose limestone soil are active ingredients to a sinkhole, naturally.

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Although sinkholes are natural human beings can and do have an impact when sinkholes do take place. "Extreme groundwater withdrawal for irrigation purposes, for instance, can often trigger a sinkhole due to the fact that it depressurizes the aquifer. Another mechanism that ... happened here in New Mexico a number of years ago was salt water well pumping. There was a company here that was injecting freshwater into the salt beds in the subsurface and dissolving out the salt to form salt water ..." (Rossiter). As we now understand what sinkholes are and how they occur, the genuine concern is, why in Florida? Sinkholes belong of the sluggish, natural procedure of erosion in Florida's limestone surface that happen over thousands of years (" How").

Sinkholes occur in Florida because much of the state's land sits on soft limestone that is susceptible to liquifying, creating sinkholes. The entire state of Florida sits on top of countless feet of carbonated limestone, however the region where most sinkholes take place is the west-central part of Florida. Sinkholes-- like springs, caves, underground drainage systems and so forth-- are karst landforms. Karst is the general term for landforms produced by the erosional processes of chemical weathering and dissolution of carbonate rocks (" How").. Geologically sinkholes form like caves, springs, and underground drainage systems, sinkholes can potentially be deadly.

The latest life a sinkhole took is 37-year-old Jeffrey Bush from Seffner, Florida. Bush died Feb. 28 when the Earth opened up under his bedroom floor. His brother, Jeremy Bush, heard his screams and tried to save him, but he was rescued by a sheriff deputy (“Public”). The sinkhole that swallowed Jeffrey was about 60 feet deep. The hole was not visible until an excavator with an 80-foot arm demolished the home. A couple miles away in a backyard in Seffner, another sinkhole appeared. This sinkhole did not cause any structural damage or injuries, but it is raising fears among the residents in the area. People are scared that a sinkhole can just appear in a yard or home putting their family in danger. Jeffrey’s family put mementos in a bucket to be placed in the hole before officials filled and covered the hole. “That’s the hole I was trying to get my brother out of,” Bush said, according to Bay News 9. “I tried the hardest I could. I wanted to let him know I love him. ‘I tried my hardest to get you out bro. I think I’m the only one that actually tried to get you out.’” (“Public”).

Bush’s body was never recovered from the hole. His funeral was held at Bell Shoals Baptist Church in Brandon, Florida. Death is not the only danger sinkholes have. Danger doesn’t only happen when the sinkhole occurs, but also after it’s covered. There are ways to avoid the danger if you have a Florida sinkhole. “The walls of a sink hole are "funnel-like" and often have a slick surface from mud or muck. Although it is natural to be curious about a sink hole, especially if your house is in danger of collapsing or falling into it, should be completely avoided. It is never safe to get near to a sinkhole that clearly has a steep vertical drop off. The sides of the sink hole may extend to a depth of over 120 feet and it may not take a lot of weight to collapse the edge around it (overhang) if stepped on.” (“Pearce March”) . People should always take a precaution after a sinkhole. Family members and pets all have potential of being hurt after a sinkhole occurrence. Sinkholes are a very big threat to Florida, due to the wrath of this natural disaster. They are caused by the limestone soil weakening because of chemical reactions within the surface. There is no place in Florida where there is no danger of sinkholes because the whole state sits on thousands-of-feet of limestone. Though it is rare, sinkholes can be deadly. Always take extra precautions when you encounter a sinkhole.