Sinkhole in Tampa Florida Swallows Car, Still Growing

A 20 foot wide and 17 foot deep sinkhole in Tampa recently engulfed a car, after opening in the middle of the street.
Sinkhole in Tampa Florida Swallows Car, Still Growing
7/13/2010
Updated:
9/29/2015
[youtube]cFph3vlnuGA[/youtube] Car swallowed by sinkhole in Tampa, FloridaA 20 foot wide and 17 foot deep sinkhole in Tampa recently engulfed a car, after opening in the middle of the street over the weekend.

An evacuation of nearby residents was instated due to fear of the sinkhole’s expansion. More than a dozen households were asked to leave the region following the opening of the sinkhole. There has not been a solid explanation for the cause of the hole at this time. The location of the sinkhole is close to Tampa’s South Florida Campus. The call reporting the occurrence was received at 6:09 a.m. on Sunday, reported Tampa Bay Online.

A report from ‘My Tampa Bay Fox’ confirmed that the sinkhole seemed to be expanding as of Monday. Hillsborough County officials said publicly that the sinkhole has gotten deeper since its emergence Sunday morning. The Toyota Camry that was swallowed in the hole can no longer be seen from ground level. Robin Coton, a Hillsborough County code enforcement officer, said that county officials are concerned with the recent growth of the hole.

“We were concerned about that. It’s the reason we had the condo vacated. What would have happened if the earth just below our house had gone down?” said Coton to My Tampa Bay Fox.

Edwin Williams, who lives in the Bordeaux Village condos near the sinkhole, told WTSP about his experience with the opening of the hole.

“I heard a sound like someone slamming a door and then after one or two seconds my power surge protector went off,” said Williams.

Similar sinkholes have recently opened in other corners of the earth. China, Canada, and Guatemala have all had sinkholes in the recent months. Now the U.S. joins the list of nations that have been left with unexplained sinkholes causing problems for citizens and taking people’s lives.

Last May a family of four was killed after a sinkhole opened in Quebec, Canada. In China 8 separate sinkholes opened in June following the first sinkhole of the year in Guatemala with 3 confirmed deaths.

There has not been any conclusive evidence linking the sinkholes that all opened over the past 6 months, other than their timing.