OCALA, Fla. — Residents in a central Florida neighborhood have been forced from their homes by giant sinkholes.
At least six holes opened last week in the Wynchase subdivision in Ocala. Six more have formed since then.
The large holes have been forming around a retention pond and some are filled with water, according to WFTV-TV.
UNREAL VIDEO! About 10 seconds in you’ll see it. A resident in the Fore Ranch area in Ocala just sent me this video from his backyard. Sinkholes have opened up from his back porch to the lake. This man and the units near his home have been evacuated. Ocala Fire Rescue & Ocala Police Department are on scene saying it may be linked to an irrigation water main break. WESH 2 News VIDEO: Shannon Cole
Posted by Kelly Rippin on Wednesday, April 25, 2018
"They just keep coming," resident Maren Pinder told WFTV. "Are we safe? We don't know. It's really scary."
A video posted to Facebook by Kelly Rippin shows water in the retention pond bubbling and then mud and dirt exploding into the air shortly before the sinkholes formed.
The worst area for sinkholes in the entire country is just north of Tampa... pic.twitter.com/sFBfABsWHk
— Brian Shields (@BrianWFTV) April 26, 2018
People have been evacuated from eight homes. American Red Cross volunteers have been helping those residents.
City leaders are still trying to figure out how to fill in the sinkholes and stop them from developing again.
Geotechnical engineers worked all day Monday to secure and test the holes.
Some news reports indicated the problem could be caused from an irrigation water main break, but officials are still investigating.
The homeowners association in 2012 paid thousands of dollars to fill sinkholes. Officials say it could cost more this time. They said the holes can't be filled until they know the ground has settled.
"We just have a bag ready in case they say, ' Yeah, you need to evacuate.' We can just grab it and get out," Pinder said.
WFTV and the Palm Beach Post contributed to this report.
Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/XCUXZC2XYZHCRGNNGKFEX6U3LQ.png)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/HB7VQAPF3VCKHLA6KBX64YXLGU.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/GJLILU2EJVEBLL5YVAXOSPSNVM.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/2YW36JFL3EC5ZR5BDTIKOC67U4.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/K2QQKYKO6RGRXPVILTHKJXIWTY.jpeg)
:quality(70)/d1hfln2sfez66z.cloudfront.net/09-22-2024/t_0d49a534459349bdb80bce268ea73596_name_Sunrise_22524.jpg)