Florida Sinkhole Swallows Resort Villa
August 12, 2013
A 15-foot- (4.5-meter-) deep crater opened last night beneath a resort villa near Clermont, Florida, about 10 miles (16 kilometers) west of Disney World. Dozens of people staying at the 3-story, 24-unit villa managed to escape unhurt before it collapsed into the 60-foot- (18-meter-) wide sinkhole. Guests at the resort called for help before the collapse, reporting that they were hearing cracking noises and had windows blowing out.
Sinkholes are common in Florida, which lies atop a system of limestone caverns that are subject to water erosion. Over time, the underground water dissolves the limestone, but the surface of the ground stays intact. Eventually, the void collapses, creating a sinkhole.
In February, a man asleep in bed was swallowed live when a sinkhole opened beneath his house in a Tampa suburb. His body was never recovered.
Additional World Book article:
- Guatemala 2010 (a Back in Time article)