Florida man swallowed by massive sinkhole in his bedroom

[JI7]

Source: CNN

-- A 36-year-old man disappeared Thursday night when a sinkhole opened up under his bedroom in Florida, swallowing him as his brother tried to rescue him, authorities said.

Right after the ground started to give way in his home in Brandon, his brother frantically tried to keep him from sinking into the hole, an emergency official said.

The first deputy on the scene pulled the victim's brother from the edge of the growing chasm, said Jessica Damico, a spokeswoman for the Hillsborough County Fire Rescue.

Authorities have been unable to contact the man as the sinkhole expanded. The house was deemed unsafe for rescuers, Damico said.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/01/us/florida-sinkhole/index.html

[Kolesar]

1. The Florida peninsula is composed of limey bedrock

I think that the Tampa area used to be a coral reef or ocean bottom deposits of limey marine life.

In Kentucky and southern Ohio, a homebuilder should have a geological assessment done so that the foundation of a new building does not sink into one of these "karst" formations.

[5X]

2. Ever had a dream about falling.......n/t

[Chakab]

3. ..

https://twitter.com/_FloridaMan

[Danascot]

42. Kinda like a

Carl Hiaasen novel, one line at a time.

[liberal N proud]

4. That would be a rude awakening

[secondwind]

5. Awful........ :-(

[Divernan]

6. Neighborhood now evacuated; man presumed dead.

Latest news is that the man is presumed dead. The hole is 100 feet across and 50 feet deep, although equipment lowered into it to investigate has been lost. The cavern extends under neighboring homes so the neighborhood has been evacuated. Florida has many underground rivers and caverns - great if you're suicidal and want to go cave diving there, but a continuing problem re sinkholes.

I lived there for 3 years (work related). Florida - if the hurricanes, mosquitoes, coral snakes, cottonmouth water moccasins, palmetto bugs, alligators, humidity & heat don't get you, the underground rivers & sinkholes will. Add in the forecast rise in ocean levels and inland reach of storm related tidal waves. If you insist on retiring there, rent, don't buy.

I don't mean to offend people who live there and love it. Too each his own.

[jerseyjack]

10. whatsamatteryou? You forgot the rattlesnakes.

[Divernan]

13. My bad! Definitely lots of rattlesnakes.

Also forgot tons of tacky tourists and not-so-tacky Canadian snowbirds.

[Demeter]

36. and the Burmese pythons

[Incitatus]

40. Anacondas are starting to invade too. nt

[go west young man]

33. You forgot the redneck racist tea baggers.

[lynne]

7. Horrible. I thought our house was being taken by a sinkhole -

- when Virginia had that 5.8 earthquake in Aug. 2011. Couldn't think of any other explanation as the house was shaking so I ran out the door and up the drive. Later learned that was the wrong response to an earthquake but - hey - Virginian's have no experience or training in earthquakes.

Poor guy, I can't imagine what horror an actual sinkhole must have been.

[woodsprite]

23. I'm in northern Delaware. During that earthquake,

our office staff just looked at each other saying "What do we do?" I guess we could get under our desks, but we're all in cubbies - no door jambs or extra supported structure with a concrete ceiling over top of us. After the earthquake, there was a concerted effort by the Health/Safety office to make sure people knew the correct response. Our building is one of several in the complex where they recommended getting out. It's not built to any specific 'earthquake' standards and with 3 floors of concrete slab, it could pancake. Next time we were told to evacuate to the parking lot away from the building.

[RC]

28. Wrong response? Why?

Are you supposed to stay put and let the building collapse on you?

[lynne]

34. You're to stay in a door frame or look for a "void" area -

- to hide that will prevent stuff from falling on you is what I was told by a friend from the Pacific Northwest. If you go outside, you could get in the path of the building, chimney, and trees falling. I live in the woods so I ran into a literal forest of trees that could have made things far worse for me. In my case, it was a bad idea to go outside. But, hey, I thought the earth was swallowing the house so I did what made sense to me in those initial seconds. I know better now.

Guess how each person should respond depends on the type building they're in and what's outside awaiting you should you go there.

[xxqqqzme]

41. I live in earthquake country

and after seeing multi-story buildings 'pancake' during quakes, I head for an outside open space. Standing in doorways has been downplayed recently. Currently the 'void' space is being talked up. Seek the inner space of the triangle created by overhead debris falling on sturdy furniture.

[central scrutinizer]

39. have you recovered from the devastation?

[link:

|

[Hassin Bin Sober]

47. I hate you for making me laugh at that.

[Selatius]

8. They said the hole is 100 feet in diameter and about 50 feet deep underneath the house.

Even if the man did survive the initial fall, he'd need help to stay afloat after a while. He can't swim indefinitely. I'm assuming the bottom of this sinkhole is flooded.

[davidpdx]

9. Odd

The house will be condemned and torn down. Who in their right mind would want to live there after that.

[Divernan]

14. Apparently tens of thousands buy property in sinkhole areas.

Google Florida sinkhole map.

[davidpdx]

20. Yep, that's messed up. I didn't realize how bad of a problem it was there

The Making of a Sinkhole




On a bit of a different (but related subject) I wonder if the fracking going on in some areas of the country is going to cause similar problems. I'm not a geologist (nor do I play one on TV), but it seems like anytime you are screwing with the stability of the ground it would weaken and possibly cause a sinkhole.

[marions ghost]

24. Here's one from Louisiana

http://io9.com/5967858/the-bayou-corne-sinkhole-a-massive-oil-and-gas-disaster-youve-probably-never-heard-of/gallery/1

[davidpdx]

25. I guess it is a good way to get some "lake front" property

What a disgusting mess.

[Divernan]

26. Ah! An unholy union of fracking and sinkholes! Coming to my state soon!

Read the article at marions ghost's link.
"On August 3, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a statewide emergency, and local officials in Assumption ordered the mandatory evacuation of about 300 residents of more than 150 homes located about a half-mile from the sinkhole. Four months later, officials continue to tell residents that they do not know when they will be able to return home.
"This place is no longer fit for human habitation, and will forever be," shouted one frustrated evacuee at a recent community meeting in Assumption.

"The Bayou Corne sinkhole is an unprecedented environmental disaster. Geologists say they have never dealt with anything quite like it before, but the sinkhole has made few headlines beyond the local media. No news may be good news for Texas Brine, a Houston-based drilling and storage firm that for years milked an underground salt cavern on the edge of large salt formation deep below the sinkhole area. From oil and gas drilling, to making chloride and other chemicals needed for plastics and chemical processing, the salty brine produced by such wells is the lifeblood of the petrochemical industry.
_____________________________
That "salty brine" they were removing, thus causing the salt cavern to collapse, is what they pump into the drilling holes when they frack.

[marions ghost]

32. oh yeah--you're right

I forgot the salty brine connection to fracking--know I read it somewhere... Texas Brine

And this news is just allowed to.............




sink

[JI7]

45. the Brother of the Victim said they had someone inspect the House not too long ago

and were told everything was ok.

[raccoon]

11. When this happens to houses, does homeowner's insurance pay anything?

Just wondering.

[Divernan]

12. Depends on the policy.

http://www.dep.state.fl.us/geology/feedback/faq.htm
I am buying a new home and I want to know if there is a sinkhole disclosure law?
Most real estate seller’s disclosure forms used in Florida today include a sinkhole disclosure statement. Sometimes it is overlooked. If it is in question, be sure to ask.

Is a new construction site tested for sinkholes?
In most cases, no. It is generally not required by building codes, and most building contractors do not provide testing on private home sites because of the additional expense. In some cases public building construction sites in sinkhole areas may be tested and reinforced as needed for safety and liability reasons.

I was denied homeowners insurance because there is a sinkhole within one-half mile of my home. What can I do?
Currently, an insurance company has the right to not issue an insurance policy on the basis of sinkholes in the “area.” The definition of “area” remains subjective, and the issue will likely only be resolved through specific legislation, or by the general adoption of a standard by the insurance industry. Some companies utilize private sinkhole data to assign relative sinkhole risk (see question #12). Other companies may have more liberal policies, and you may wish to shop around for other insurance that may be available.

[lynne]

35. No. It's specifically excluded on the "special" form HO3 policy -

- which is what most people have. BUT, with some companies, it's a "buy-back" endorsement. If offered, you can opt to purchase the sinkhole/collapse coverage for additional premium.

Earthquake is handled the same way. It's excluded but many companies will let you purchase coverage by endorsement. Not unlike flood coverage, which is excluded but you can purchase via a separate policy

[progressoid]

15. Good lord.

[Orrex]

16. I really wanted this to be a funny story with an "all's well" ending

How terrible for the man and his family!

[raccoon]

17. It sounds like a horror movie. nt

[SoapBox]

38. Ditto to the horror movie.

How awful.

[Arkana]

18. Here's what I want to know:

What was Rush Limbaugh doing in this man's bedroom?

[CanonRay]

19. The earth swallowed him up...sounds positively Biblical

Poor guy, must have been terrifying.

[Sancho]

22. Wells for golf courses and agriculture pump the water from the aquifer...

then the limestone that is under most of the state caves in. While manf of us have watering restrictions and pay big bucks every month, the golf courses, ball fields, and strawberry farms dig their own wells.

When a sinkhole opens up in your neighborhood, all the real estate values drop like a rock, you can't get insurance, and you can't sell.

At least the weather is nice most of the time.

[eggplant]

27. That sucks. n/t

[lonestarnot]

29. Damn!

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

30. This is a growing (no pun intended) problem now...

[csziggy]

31. It happened in Brandon, Florida - wasn't a DUer going to move there?

Better coverage:
http://abcnews.go.com/US/florida-man-swallowed-alive-sinkhole/story?id=18626485
http://www.digtriad.com/news/local/article/271958/57/FL-Home-Collapses-In-Sinkhole-1-Trapped-Presumed-Dead

I'm sort of surprised this happened now. A front with lots of rain just went through the area. While the rain probably washed out more of the underground cavern, usually the caverns collapse when they dry out. Limestone has more strength when damp but is brittle and more prone to breakage when dry.

[valerief]

37. Holy shit. nt

[Codeine]

43. Straight out of Doctor Who!

[condoleeza]

44. Just so disappointed

It was Jeff Bush's house, not Jeb Bush's house. I know it's a tragedy for Jeff's family and I know it's tacky to say what I said, but it had to be said.

[formercia]

46. People should be careful of what they bring home from the Club.

You thought Coyote Ugly was bad.......