http://www.eagletribune.com/newhampshire/x891768488/Large-sinkhole-...

December 13, 2011

Large sinkhole forms on busy NH street

http://sanmarco.firstcoastnews.com/news/67642-san-marco-sinkhole-ke...

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/christchurch-suburbs-turn-liquid-...

A number of Christchurch residents want their neighbourhood to be condemned, as liquefaction following Friday's earthquake forced another clean-up.

Aftershocks continued to rock Christchurch on Saturday after quakes measuring 5.8 and 6.0 shook the nerves of many residents on Friday.

The quakes cut power to about 26,000 homes and caused issues with water supply and wastewater, though most of those services were back to normal by late Saturday.
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But cleaning up huge amounts of silt caused by liquefaction was the biggest problem for many residents in the suburb of Parklands, who have already faced this issue twice before.

Soil liquefaction describes a phenomenon whereby a saturated soil substantially loses strength and stiffness in response to applied stress, usually earthquake shaking or other sudden change in stress condition, causing it to behave like a liquid.

"We've had enough. We can't keep doing this. This will happen again and again," resident Geoff Cooke told One News.

The area was zoned orange at one point but later switched back to green, or inhabitable. But with further liquefaction, they called for it to be hoarsened red, or uninhabitable.

Prime Minister John Key says a reassessment may be necessary.

"It's possible that some of those boundaries might change and go into red, but wall need to take a closer look at that when we can properly assess it, which will probably be early in the new year," he

"Wall have to go and do a full assessment later on but it's likely that most of the damage has taken place in areas that are already damaged."

Electronic transactions operator Epimere said transactions in Christchurch were down 17.5 per cent on Friday compared to the same day last year in the wake of many mall closures, though there was a significant increase on Saturday as shoppers tried to catch up.

The number of homes without power was down to about 50 on Saturday afternoon and Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker hoped most of the emergency repairs could be finished on Saturday.

"It has been a hellish year. I am determined to get as much as we can fixed by tonight so that our staff, apart from a skeleton team, can spend Christmas with their families."

Sinkhole Closes Foothill Road from Morada Lane to Northridge Road

Foothill Road in Santa Barbara between Morada Lane and Northridge Road shut down Tuesday because of a sinkhole in the roadway.

Caltrans was alerted to the hazard at 11 a.m. Tuesday and expects the road to be closed for less than a week while repairs are made, spokesman Colin Jones said.

“We’re not sure the cause of it, but the the roadway is sinking and there’s a depressed section but it hasn’t cracked,” he said. “We saw utility gas lines there and called maintenance crews immediately. We don’t want people driving on unstable or hazardous roadway.”

Traffic is being detoured through Willowglen Road and Calle Cita as well as Grove Lane.

“Traffic is getting pretty crazy. What I recommended to my family was to stay as far away from Foothill as you can,” said Joe Guzzardi of the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Services. “Even upper State Street is gridlocked, and it will only get worse as it gets closer to 5 p.m.”

Jones said crews will work from dusk until dawn to try to get Foothill Road, also known as Highway 192, open before school resumes next week at Monte Vista Elementary. Although maintenance crews are at the scene, he said an emergency contractor will start working on the roadway depression either Wednesday or Thursday.

With many children playing at Willow Glen Park, officials ask motorists to drive carefully and slowly.

http://www.noozhawk.com/article/122711_foothill_road_sinkhole/

Link to story below

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Large-Sinkhole-Gushing-Water-...

http://enr.construction.com/infrastructure/water_dams/2011/1228-bur...

Burst Water Main Proves Perilous in Manchester, N. H.

Manchester Water Works

Sinkhole trapped car on exposed gas line after 110-year-old water main burst. Vehicle and driver were rescued.

The town of Manchester, N.H., has been replacing about two miles of aging water pipeline annually in recent years, but municpal crews could not complete their task before a 12-in.-dia water main dating back to 1901 burst. The rupture on Dec. 13 created a street sinkhole that was perilous for one driver.

“A cap blew off the back of a cross on the water main,” before water gushed up on the left side of the subcompact, trapping it on a live gas main, says Guy Chabot, distribution engineer at the Manchester Water Works. “The 110-year-old main broke due to fatigue." The car and its driver were pulled to safety, but 200 ft of roadway collapsed or was undermined, officials say.

Water was shut off to a three-block area for nearly nine hours. By 3 p.m. service was restored and street repairs were completed, Chabot says.

The water main was a 110-year-old cast iron pipe with 100 psi of water, Chabot says. “Back in 1901, they attached a cap to the cross using metal strapping, but with 110 years of corrosion, the straps blew out,” he adds.

Similar to other old mill towns, “we have pipes as old as 135 years in our downtown,” Chabot says. “We’ve got to keep replacing them for years to come.” He says Manchester has a $1.2-million budget in 2012 for water main replacement as part of its capital program, with priority based on leak history, water quality issues and complaints, then age.

Chabot says the city hopes to double its replacement volume to 4 miles per year over the next 20 years, budget permitting.

POLK CITY --    http://www.cfnews13.com/article/news/2011/december/363572/Growing-s...

Repair crews will be back at the site of a Polk County sinkhole today.

Florida Department of Transportation officials said they are still trying to assess the hole and determine when and how to fill it in.

A 30-foot-wide and 12-foot-deep sinkhole opened up in the parking lot of a Polk City rest stop along westbound I-4 around 10:30 a.m. The sinkhole grew to about 40 feet wide by 5 p.m.

Gigi Wilkins and her husband were headed home to Northport after vacationing in Orlando.

The couple says they stopped at the rest area for a quick bathroom break. They left one parking space in between their cars.

They were only gone for a few minutes when the ground opened up. Wilkins’ Ford Escape was swallowed by the sinkhole.

"I came out sort of heard a loud cracking noise and kind of saw my car sinking into the ground," she said, "and then a little bit later there was a louder cracking noise and his car went sideways."

It's something she says that still has her shaking her head.

"This is a Christmas, New Years to remember," she said. "We’ll remember this story for a while."

Wilkins said they just bought the SUV after moving to Florida a few months ago.

Both vehicles were towed to a local garage for repairs.

No injuries were reported.

The rest stop is located near mile marker 46, near the Fantasy of Flight attraction. Part of the rest stop remains open to cars and SUVs but not heavy trucks. 

Graves at Civil War cemetery face being exhumed after 50ft-long sinkhole forces 25 residents to flee their homes

The cemetery holds 20,000 graves, including 714 Civil War veterans

A sinkhole that forced the evacuation of 25 residents from their homes has spread to an historic cemetery, threatening dozens of graves.

Officials in Allentown, Pennsylvania, have been given the go-ahead by a judge to exhume remains buried during the Civil War.

The hole, measuring 50ft long and 30ft wide, was thought to have collapsed when a water main burst and flooded under a road.

Scroll down for video

Hole in the road: Workmen gather at the 50ft long sinkhole in Allentown which is believed to have opened up after a water main burst

About 60 graves in Union and West End Cemetery are threatened have been roped off after several headstones tilted.

The cemetery holds about 20,000 graves, including 714 Civil War veterans. Among them is a Medal of Honor winner, Ignatz Gresser.

Lehigh County Coroner Scott Grim said: 'If any sites are in jeopardy, than we are going to have to make that decision to excavate.

'It's a very sensitive issue. You are dealing with a cemetery. You are laid to rest and now it is being disturbed.'

Everette Carr, president of the association which maintains the 157-year old non-profit burial ground, revealed there were are no detailed historical records beyond those whose graves have headstones.

Danger: Twenty-five residents had to be evacuated from their homes after water flooded a basement

Under threat: A red tape cordons off the graves which face being exhumed because of the sinkhole

Many of the dead were buried in wooden baskets as was the custom during that era.

A dozen homes half a block from the hole on 10th Street were evacuated yesterday after firemen found a basement flooded. Five properties have been declared structurally unsafe.

'At this point, we don't know if the homes will have to be condemned or not,' said fire chief Robert C. Scheirer.

"Three of homes have major shifting issues that you can physically see shifting," Assistant Fire Chief Lee Laubach told CNN affiliate WFMZ. "You can see the doors don't open, the cracks in the walls and in foundations."

"Dwayne Glover, an evacuated resident, told the station that before evacuating his home, his foot had inadvertently gone through a concrete floor as he walked toward his washing machine."

"It's a very volatile situation," Carr said. "The ground is unstable. There is no question it is moving."

http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/30/us/pennsylvania-sinkhole/index.html?h...

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/local&id=8487825

Sinkhole leaves Allentown residents nearly homeless

ALLENTOWN, Pa. - January 2, 2012 (WPVI) -- The large sinkhole that swallowed part of an Allentown neighborhood and evacuated dozens last week, continues to cause problems.

J.R.Rosado is one of many who used to live on the 300 block of North 10th Street.

Now he, his wife, his three children and his dog, all live inside his parent's tiny apartment a few blocks away.

"My wife sleeps on one side on the floor, then the kids and I sleep on the other side," said Rosado.

The good news for Rosado, is that he and his family were renting their home.

Geryl Hodge who lives just two doors down, owns hers.

She recently found out from her insurance agent that her homeowner's policy doesn't cover sinkhole damage.

"It's not an event that is covered by our policy and basically they've been quoting the exclusions," said Hodge.

She and her two children have been staying at a local hotel courtesy of the city but Allentown officials are only paying for the room through Tuesday night.

Hodge says she can't afford to pay for the room herself and all the local shelters are full.

On top of that, her home is so unstable that she can't go back to retrieve clothing and personal items.

Despite all of that, little help is coming her way.

Since a water main break is the likely cause, the sinkhole is not considered a natural disaster so state and federal agencies are not getting involved.

Now, with one day to go before being officially homeless, Hodge is considering hiring an attorney to find out who is responsible.

"Why do we have to go that route? Why can't someone step up and take responsibility? It's been frustrating," said Hodge.

As of right now, two of the homes on the block will likely need to be demolished, and a few more could suffer the same fate, including the Hodge family home.

http://www.mccookgazette.com/story/1801458.html

Thursday, January 5, 2012

A wrecker from Lexington and firefighters from Cambridge, Wilsonville, Bartley and Red Willow Western respond to a propane truck and sinkhole incident southeast of Cambridge Wednesday afternoon.

CAMBRIDGE, Nebraska -- No one was injured and a worst-case scenario was averted after a sinkhole sucked up the back-end of a fully-loaded propane truck in the yard of a rural Cambridge, Nebraska, home Wednesday afternoon.

Roger Powell, Furnas County's emergency manager, said this morning that the situation could have been so much worse. But there was no propane leak, no fire and "everyone went home safe. That's what we like."

Powell said the truck, from Ag Valley Co-Op and loaded with 2,500 gallons of propane, backed into the farmyard to fill a tank close to the house, when the back end dropped into a sinkhole, believed to have been an old septic system.

The driver got out without incident, but the truck was stuck and sinking.

Powell said firefighters and trucks arrived from Cambridge, Wilsonville, Bartley and Red Willow Western, "mainly as a precaution. If something had happened, we would have needed lots of water."

Powell said two wreckers from Randy's and Brian's Towing in Lexington were able to lift the back end of the truck up and pull the front end forward at the same time.

The incident was reported about 12:30 p.m., Powell said, and the clean-up was completed by late afternoon. Powell declined to release the name of the homeowner.

 

TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) - A sinkhole opened early Friday on Scottwood near Bancroft.

It happened in a driveway mainly but also extends into the street. The hole is about 6' wide and 8' long. It's about 4' deep.

A driver discovered the hole when he tried to back into the driveway and a tire fell in. He doesn't live at the home but was visiting a friend.

The sinkhole is also under a portion of the road that did not cave in. Therefore, if cars drive on the road, there is no support beneath that surface.

The city soon came out and placed cones to block the road.

Toddler lost in urban sinkhole

Published: 09 January, 2012

Tatyana Didenko, 26, and her only son Kirill fell into a sinkhole on a busy street in Bryansk Sunday. The woman was saved by her husband Vladimir Didenko, a traffic police officer – someone called him shortly following the accident, and he was not far from the scene, Komsomolskaya Pravda reports. “He pulled his wife out, she caught the edge of the ditch and held on,” witnesses told the newspaper. “But he couldn’t manage to save the child,” they added.

http://rt.com/news/boy-tragedy-bryansk-sinkhole-377/

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/article2787222.ece

Road in front of Lalbagh gate sinks

Motorists using the road in front of Lalbagh West Gate here experienced a scene from the sci-fi film “2012.” They had a sinking feeling when the road just collapsed in front of their eyes.

At around 10.30 a.m. on Sunday, the road in front of the Kuvempu statue near the gate sank suddenly. The road now has a huge “sink hole” measuring around 12 ft in length, four ft in width and nearly eight ft in depth. The alert police diverted vehicular movement and prevented accidents.

A Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) official said that this “sink hole” could have been caused by the high water table in the areas around the Lalbagh Lake.

“The road collapsed suddenly. We still have not been able to single out any reason for this,” according the official.

He said that a similar thing happened on Krumbiegel Road around two months ago. He added that the BBMP officials were trying to break the uneven parts around the pit. “On Monday, we will begin to fill the pit so that the road can be restored,” he said.

Area councillor S. Anil Kumar said that the “sink hole” had developed almost in the centre of the road.

He also said that this phenomenon was not uncommon in the areas around Lalbagh Lake.

“As soon as I got to know of the incident, I alerted the BBMP control room. The road repair work is under way,” he said.

‘Cauvery trench'

B.R. Srinivasa Murthy, retired civil engineer professor from the Indian Institute of Science, said that it could be because of the Cauvery trench, which may not have been filled properly.

“Otherwise, it could also have been triggered by infrastructure work (Namma Metro pier construction that is being taken up nearby), large-scale piling or movement of heavy vehicles.

“However, one can ascertain the exact reason only after visiting the spot,” Mr. Srinivasa Murthy added.

Meanwhile, the police, who had diverted traffic on nearby roads, said that the vehicular movement was not affected since it was a Sunday.

“The road sees a lot of traffic. We anticipate traffic snarls on Monday in the area,” they said.

BBMP, however, has undertaken immediate restoration works.

http://poleshift.ning.com/profiles/blogs/another-sinkhole-appeared-...

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/01/no_injuries_reported...

No injuries reported in floor collapse at market and restaurant in Forest Park neighborhood of Springfield

Published: Tuesday, January 10, 2012, 10:39 AM 

SPRINGFIELD - No injuries were reported Tuesday morning when a section of the floor at a Forest Park neighborhood market and restaurant collapsed into the cellar.

The collapse at Amarili’s Market, 288 Locust St., was reported about 9:25 a.m., Fire Department spokesman Dennis G. Leger said.

A rear corner of the business, a floor section of about 10 feet by 10 feet, collapsed under the weight of “cases and cases” of drinks that had been stored there, Leger said.

“Apparently the weight was too much,” Leger said. “I would have to say if there had been anybody under there, they would have been severely injured or killed.”

The single-story building, owned by Victor Jimenez, has been evacuated, Leger said. The owner of the business is Pascalio Reynoso, he said.

http://www.krmg.com/news/news/local/sinkhole-opens-riverside-drive/...

Sinkhole opens up on Riverside Drive

May take weeks to fix

TULSA, Okla. —

Workers have shut down one lane in each direction on Riverside Drive at 31st Street due to a sinkhole apparently caused by a leaking sanitary sewer.

The lanes were shut down late Tuesday afternoon.

Tulsa city officials say it could take up to three weeks to complete repairs.

Crews on the scene say they're still investigating the source of the sinkhole.

It may take some time because their equipment is malfunctioning and they're waiting for the repair technician.

Drivers are urged to avoid the area if at all possible.

http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/dist-school-bus-falls-into-sin...

Dist. 87 school bus falls into sinkhole on Oakland

Officials examine a sinkhole that swallowed the rear wheel of a District 87 school bus carrying 12 Irving Elementary School students Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012, in the 600 block of West Oakland Avenue. None of the students were injured but two tow trucks from Southtown Wrecker Service were were required to free the bus from the 4-foot deep hole. (The Pantagraph, David Proeber)

BLOOMINGTON — A rear wheel of a Bloomington District 87 school bus fell into a 4-foot-deep sinkhole Wed-nesday afternoon when pavement caved in on West Oakland Avenue, but no one on board was injured.

 “It just dropped,” said bus driver Rhonda Pondelick, adding she’s never experienced anything like it before in her three years as a bus driver.

“They were all screaming,” she said of the children. “I got them all calmed down. They were in shock at first.”

The bus was carrying 12 Irving Elementary School students, the driver and the driver’s 6-year-old son, who attends Cedar Ridge Elementary School, when the pavement suddenly gave way about 4:50 p.m. in the 600 block of West Oakland Avenue.

Oakland Avenue between Mason and Lee streets already was closed until Jan. 25 so crews could repair two other sinkholes caused by a water main break. Wednesday’s accident occurred in the next block to the west, on the other side of Mason Street.

Reporters at the scene could hear water rushing through the bottom of the sinkhole, which was about 8 feet long and about 4 feet wide.

Parents notified

District 87 Superintendent Barry Reilly, who was at the scene, said no one was injured. Some of the smaller children were wearing seatbelts.

The children were transferred to another bus where Pondelick sat with them. Parents were notified of the accident, and several came to pick up their children.

The full-sized bus, owned by District 87’s bus contractor, Illinois Central School Bus, sank up to its frame on the driver’s side as the rear wheel hung in the hole.

Two wreckers needed

Two Southtown Wrecker Service tow trucks arrived at the scene to lift the bus out of the hole. One worked in front, the other in

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/briefs/x1689942820/8th-Street-c...

8th Street closed due to sinkhole

Sink hole in the 500 block of 8th St. on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, in Huntington.

•  

January 19, 2012 @ 10:30 PM

A storm expected to ease by this evening raised rivers, blew debris over roads and caused power outages in Douglas County today.

Elk Creek at Drain was expected to flood today, possibly spilling onto city streets, and causing the North Douglas School District to close schools at midday. Evening school activities were canceled.

A sinkhole between Scottsburg Park and Loon Lake Road east of Reedsport was expected to close Highway 38 until Friday. Drivers were advised to use Highway 42 as an alternate route between Interstate 5 and Highway 101....

READ MORE

Governor Declares Emergency in Lincoln County

Posted: Friday, January 20, 2012 2:42 pm

LINCOLN CITY - Gov. John Kitzhaber has declared a state of emergency in Lincoln County in the wake of high winds and heavy rains that battered the Coast on Wednesday, Jan. 18.

Kitzhaber made the declaration, which also applies to Marion, Benton and Coos counties, at 3:36 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 19, a few minutes after Lincoln County Commissioners held an emergency meeting to request help.

The governor's office says that by declaring a state of emergency, Kitzhaber has directed the Oregon Military Department and Office of Emergency Management to coordinate all requests for state assistance from affected counties.

At their emergency meeting, commissioners heard that Lincoln County School District has canceled school on Friday as well as all after-school activities scheduled for Thursday evening.

Emergency Services Coordinator Jenny Demaris said the Siletz River was expected to crest at 23.09 feet at about 5 p.m. on Thursday - more than 7 feet above flood stage.

Residents in that area have been placing sandbags to protect their properties from the floodwaters.

Demaris also drew attention to the sinkhole developing on Highway 101, just south of the Newport Airport in South Beach, where heavy rains have undercut the asphalt surface, leaving the highway reduced to a single lane.

She said crews from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) are monitoring the situation and will close the highway completely if the scouring gets any worse....

READ MORE

http://www.waff.com/story/16602807/sinkhole-shuts-down-highway-in-f...

Sinkhole shuts down highway in Franklin County

Posted: Jan 25, 2012

FRANKLIN COUNTY, AL (WAFF) -

A sinkhole shut down part of a busy highway in Franklin County.

Work is now underway to repair the damage at the intersection of Highway 82 and 243 near Russellville.

This is no small sinkhole. A viewer called WAFF 48 News and said the hole was big enough to fit two cars in it, and they weren't exaggerating.

DOT crews were on site starting around 8 Wednesday morning trying to fix the damage. They say a water main broke overnight caused the road to cave in.

Officials said Highway 82 is used as a cut-through road, so it's not causing problems to nearby residents.

Right now they are concerned with repacking the ground and making it safe for drivers.

"What we're doing is removing the mult material, which is the saturated material, and replacing it with stone," said Hiram Garner with Alabama DOT.

DOT officials say the repairs should just take a couple of days, but fear the weather may cause it to take them a little longer.

In the meantime, remember Highway 243 near Highway 82 is down to just one lane, so be prepared for delays if you have to travel that way.

Sinkhole Closes John Street Block in Financial District
January 26, 2012

FINANCIAL DISTRICT — The city closed a block of John Street Thursday after a small portion of the street collapsed.

The Department of Transportation blocked off John Street, between Broadway and Nassau Street, after a hole opened up in the roadbed, the Downtown Alliance business improvement district said in an email to residents.

Nelson Guncay, a manager for New Way Shoe Repair on John Street, said he heard a loud noise early Thursday afternoon, and then he spotted workers blocking off the street with caution tape.

"It was like something falling down, something big," said Guncay. "I felt something shake."

The Downtown Alliance email, sent at 3 p.m., said the extent of the damage had not been determined and it was unclear when the street would reopen to vehicles.

It was not immediately clear what caused the sinkhole or exactly when it happened.

READ MORE

Sinkhole Opens Up In Rain-Damaged Road at Geebung

January 30, 2012

The rain may have stopped in Brisbane, but problems continue on the roads with a large "sinkhole" appearing on the northside.

Police have closed Murphy Rd at Geebung near Sollis St after the sinkhole - measuring 1m wide - consumed part of the bitumen this afternoon.

The lefthand side of the road heading south was affected, near Robinson Rd.

"We're closing that part of the road off because someone could seriously injure themselves and damage their vehicle," a Queensland Police Service spokesman said....

READ MORE

Sinkhole Closes Section of Roosevelt Avenue Near I-291 Overpass

January 31, 2012

SPRINGFIELD - A large sinkhole in the road that developed on Roosevelt Avenue Tuesday evening forced the closing of the roadway to northbound traffic, police said.

Southbound traffic from Page Boulevard heading toward Bay Street was still permitted, but northbound traffic was being detoured at Cottage Street.

Captain William Collins of the Springfield Police Department said the hole is just past Roosevelt Avenue and Cottage Street on the hill leading to the bridge over Interstate 291. It is in an area near a road construction project.

Springfield Department of Public Works crews were being called to the scene as were crews with Western Massachusetts Electric Company. The sinkhole apparently exposed some underground wires.

The Fire Department also issued an advisory to its stations to find an alternative route between Memorial Drive and Page Boulevard.

The road is expected to be closed at least through Wednesday morning.

READ MORE

15-Foot Sinkhole Found on Ringgold Middle School Property

Jan. 31, 2012

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Pa. —The Department of Environmental Protection was called to Ringgold Middle School after a sinkhole opened up on school property.

Officials said the hole is 5 feet wide and 15 feet deep.

"Our primary concern is to provide our students with a safe environment. If there would be any problems we want to be prepared to address them," said substitute superintendent Dr. Karen Polkabla.

Polkabla said mine subsidence caused the hole form. Channel 11's Vince Sims reported that two other sinkholes were located on private property next to the school.

The Ringgold sinkhole sits far enough away from the building that officials are not calling it a major concern for students.

"There's a football field, a soccer field and a baseball field, and it's even beyond those fields. So at this point it's not any danger to the students," Polkabla said.

The DEP said all three sinkholes are on their priority repair list.

READ MORE

Reposted from mainpage blogs:

Toronto Sinkhole

Posted by Dan Lansman on February 3, 2012 at 4:25pm

Send Message   View Blog

Yet another sinkhole in Toronto

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2012/02/03/toronto-coxw...

http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20120203/sinkhole-ba...

Sinkhole swallows city dump truck

Photos

A city truck lies stuck in a sinkhole on Barbara Crescent in East York on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2012.

Date: Friday Feb. 3, 2012 9:27 AM ET

Update from a sinkhole that originally formed in December

Sinkhole Continues To Force Traffic Detour

Feb 02,

SYLACAUGA – A 15-foot deep sinkhole on Quarry Road is still sinking despite five attempts to fill it by the street department.

Street department director Tommy Woolley said they are working hard to fill it, but cannot determine when it will stop sinking.

“I know the residents that live near that road are upset by the detour, but it’s for their own safety,” Woolley said. “We’d hate to open the road and have somebody drive through there at night and it is 10-feet deep again. We have to keep it closed until we can determine it is safe.”

Mayor Sam Wright addressed the issue at a city council meeting Wednesday morning.

“We have it barricaded, and we ask citizens for cooperation and understanding in what we’re having to battle,” Wright said. “We know it’s a big inconvenience, but the street department is handling it.”

The hole, which is now about 20 feet wide, was originally 70 feet deep and 40 feet across when it first appeared in December....

READ MORE

http://www.gadsdentimes.com/article/20120210/WIRE/120219998

Sinkhole shuts down westbound I-20 in Alabama

Miles and miles of traffic exit I-20 because of a large sink hole in the west bound lanes between the 431 exit and Golden Springs exit near the 191 mile marker, Friday, Feb. 10, 2012. Transportation officials say westbound I-20 is closed near the Oxford exit, causing traffic tie-ups for cars and trucks traveling from west Georgia toward Birmingham. Officials are diverting traffic on to U.S. 78 as a detour.

Massive Sinkholes in Mexico, China, Argentina, Ecuador and Russia (courtesy of Andrey Eroshin)

http://www.cbsatlanta.com/story/16953980/sinkhole-swallowing-up-yar...

Sinkhole swallowing up yard belonging to Clayton County family

Posted: Feb 16, 2012 5:36 PM AST Updated: Feb 16, 2012 5:47 PM AST

CLAYTON COUNTY, GA (CBS ATLANTA) -

Billy Banks said a sinkhole started forming in his backyard about a year ago. Now it's nearly 4 feet deep.

"If it gets bigger and gets close to the house, the house is going to be condemned," Banks said.

Banks said his home is only 7-years-old. He never imagined when he bought the property that his yard would cave in.

Dorothy Banks said Legacy Communities built the homes in the Manor subdivision near Jonesboro and when she tried to contact them about the problem she learned they had gone out of business.

"We just can't win because we can't afford to redo this whole back yard ourselves," Dorothy Banks said.

So CBS Atlanta News tried to locate the builders to no avail and the county said there is nothing they can do since the sinkhole is on private property.

"We might have to walk away from this house because we can't afford to fix this and we don't want to take a chance on something happening where our grandkids or even us walk out here and fall in this sinkhole or even the sinkhole getting to close to the house and our house falling in," Dorothy Banks said.

http://wvgazette.com/News/201202170061

Lawrence Pierce

Workers moved this section of pavement that caved in at the site of the sinkhole.

More media

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Northbound lanes of Charleston's Summers Street between Virginia and Quarrier streets were shut down shortly before noon Friday when a sinkhole opened up in the middle of the 100 block.

The hole was about 3 feet by 4 feet long, and reached about 8 feet deep.

Crews from the Charleston Sanitary Board were at the hole throughout the afternoon, finally placing steel plates over it shortly before 3 p.m.

Charleston city engineer Chris Knox was not sure what caused the street to cave in, but said he doubted it had anything to do with an electric vault located on Summers Street between Virginia Street and Kanawha Boulevard. Construction crews for BBL Carlton had been repairing the vault, which was damaged over the years by runoff and salt used to treat the street above.

Knox said it is possible a section of sewer collapsed under Summers Street, causing the sinkhole, or dirt and sand from just beneath the street might have been filtering into the sewer pipe for years and decades, leaving an air space above that eventually collapsed.

Officials with the Charleston Sanitary Board could not be reached for comment.

West Orange, New Jersey

http://westorange.patch.com/articles/sinkhole-found-on-northfield-a...

Sinkhole Found on Northfield Avenue and Valley Road

A sinkhole is developing on the intersection of Northfield Avenue and Valley Road in West Orange.

Officials on scene this afternoon said the sinkhole is about two-and-a-half feet wide and one foot deep.

As of 2:30 p.m., traffic continued to flow along all lanes of Northfield Avenue and Valley Road and no streets had been closed.

An orange cone has been placed on top of the hole for precaution as West Orange police wait for county officials to arrive. Both streets are county roads.

Police did not know what caused the sinkhole but said there had been recent construction in the area.

http://www.wjla.com/articles/2012/02/road-collapse-closes-lanes-on-...

Bladensburg, Maryland sinkhole shuts down westbound lanes on Rt 450.  The hole measures 8 feet wide by 10" deep.

The sinkhole is located on westbound Route 450 near Baltimore Avenue.

Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission spokesman I.J. Hudson says the sinkhole is the result of a 12-inch water main break on Feb. 16.

He says a patch was made to the broken main, and a contractor was supposed to come out the next day to repair the pipe. That apparently didn't happen. Hudson says the patch failed overnight, and the road started to sink.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/6-ft-wide-sink-hole-blocks-int...

6-ft wide sinkhole blocks intersection

WSB-TV

ATLANTA —

Atlanta police are blocking off an area of northeast Atlanta where there's a large sinkhole.

The area near the intersection of East Sussex and Cumberland roads has been shut down. The sinkhole is 6 feet wide on top, 10 feet deep and spreads 20 feet wide.

Police said the sink hole was first reported to them just before 4 p.m. Thursday. Since then, a patrol officer has been assigned to the area around the clock.

Officers are concerned because the sinkhole is near Morningside Elementary School and Haygood Preschool, and some students walk to school. Channel 2’s Mark Arum suggested using Barclay Place to get around the area.

Police aren’t sure when repairs will begin.

Some large sinkholes & land cracks since February 2012 -

Brazil/Colombia: earth fissure opened in Pitangui/activated geological fault in Tobo
http://poleshift.ning.com/profiles/blogs/brazil-colombia-earth-fiss...
Courtesy of Andrey Eroshin

China: Land subsidence causes panic in Hefei
http://poleshift.ning.com/profiles/blogs/china-land-subsidence-caus...
Courtesy of Khan

China: on south for the last week have become more frequent cases of land collapses and stretchings
http://poleshift.ning.com/profiles/blogs/china-2
Courtesy of Andrey Eroshin

China: Cave-ins create hundreds of holes in Hunan Province (Feb 26)
http://poleshift.ning.com/profiles/blogs/china-cave-ins-create-hund...
Courtesy of Khan

Spain: massive chasm opened near of zone Rostrío, Santander (Feb 23)
http://poleshift.ning.com/profiles/blogs/spain
Courtesy of Andrey Eroshin

Land subsidence hits 50 cities in China !! (Feb 22)
http://poleshift.ning.com/profiles/blogs/land-subsidence-hits-50-ci...
Courtesy of Khan

Philippines: ‘Soil still moving, cracks forming in sinkhole area’/Republic of Korea: A large sinkhole in Incheon. (Feb 20)
http://poleshift.ning.com/profiles/blogs/philippines-the-ground-con...
Courtesy of Khan

Mexico/ China: deep sinkholes depth of 40 meters in Matamoros and Zhejiang (Feb 12)
http://poleshift.ning.com/profiles/blogs/mexico-china-deep-sinkhole...
Courtesy of Andrey Eroshin

Turkey: Black sea coastal highway collapse, Hatay airport flooded (Feb 1)
http://poleshift.ning.com/profiles/blogs/turkey-black-sea-coastal-h...
Courtesy of Andrey Eroshin

Not quite a sinkhole but the same cause - supporting rock structure giving way:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2114912/White-Cliffs-Dover-... 

Large Sinkhole Growing in Pennsylvania (March 19) -

Sinkhole Closes Road in Calgary (March 21) -

Sinkhole Develops in Downtown Columbia (March 21)

Sinkhole in sweden: http://www.nsd.se/nyheter/artikel.aspx?ArticleId=6802227

http://poleshift.ning.com/profiles/blogs/sweeden-200-ft-wide-entran...

couple hear a rumble, then their kitchen falls into a hole as the foundations of the house collapse

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2121747/Young-couple-devast...

Huge Sinkhole Swallows Backyard in Houston -

A sinkhole that swallowed up most of a homeowner's back yard a few weeks ago still has not been fixed.

The sinkhole, which is 40 feet wide, 15 feet deep and growing, opened up on Falloon near Donna Corey in March. It has taken down three trees and utility lines.

The hole was about 30 feet wide when KPRC Local 2 first took a look at it about three weeks ago. The station made a few phone calls Monday and crews finally showed up to work on the sinkhole.

"It scares me," neighbor Steve Mueller said. "I'm glad it isn't behind my house."

City of Houston crews said the sinkhole was caused by a collapsed storm drain.

Crews said it could take three weeks to a month to get the mess fixed.

Video of sinkhole swallowing the aforementioned Chinese girl and her rescue. (March 2012)

Chinese state media say a teenage girl was rescued by a taxi driver after falling into a deep sinkhole that opened up on a city sidewalk near a school.

China Central Television aired footage Wednesday from a surveillance video that showed the teenager in a pink coat falling down the 6-metre (20-foot) hole in Xi'an city in central China last month.

Taxi driver Wang Wei told CCTV he witnessed the accident and climbed into the muddy sinkhole to rescue the unconscious teenager. Wang said he patted the girl to wake her up, then helped her climb to safety when firefighters lowered a ladder down to the pair.

The China Daily newspaper said in an earlier report the girl was taken to hospital for treatment and recovered.

Source

Ground subsidence widespread in Beijing

A road collapse in Beijing in 2011. (Photo/CFP)

By the end of 2010, 2,475 square km, or one third of the Beijing plain, had dropped by more than 200 mm, reports the 21st Century Business Herald newspaper in Guangzhou.

Sinking took place in five districts of the city, including Changping, Chaoyang, Shunyi, Tongzhou, and Daxing, said Lu Xiaojian, vice chief of Beijing Municipal Bureau of Geological Survey and Mines.

Lu attributed the subsidence to over pumping ground water, which constitutes two thirds of the water supply to the Chinese capital, to meet the demand of the rapidly swelling population of the city.

Beijing's ground subsidence can be divided into four phases, according to a 2004 report by Wang Ping from the China Institute of Geological Environment Monitoring. The first phase was from 1967-1973, when the ground shifted downwards by between several millimeters and 10 millimeters per year, while the second phase was from 1973 to 1981, when subsidence accelerated to more than 10 millimeters a year.

The third phase spanned 1981-1987, when the subsidence rate slowed down a little. The fourth was between 1987 and 2000, when subsidence spread from the city's downtown to its suburban districts.

After 2011, which is not covered in Wang's report, the rate of subsidence accelerated to twice that of between 1999 and 2005, the newspaper quoted an expert at the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Land and Resources as saying.

Ground subsidence could cause damage to the city, Lu Xiaojian told the newspaper. "We found that wherever there was subsidence, underground pipelines ruptured frequently," said Lu.

This also threatens the safety of railways, as a depression of a few millimeters can cause accidents along the city's eight subway lines and its one rapid transit line to the airport.

The last danger, which is also significant, is the possibility of cracks in the ground.

Since over-pumping of ground water is the root cause of subsidence, Dai Yuhua, an official from Beijing Water Authority, told the 21st Century Business Herald that the city was going to limit the drawing of ground water.

Dai said Beijing was building a pipeline to channel 1 billion cubic meters of water from Yangtze River a year. When that project is completed in 2014, wells drawing groundwater will be closed and part of the water from Yangtze River will be used to replenish the drained ground water in Beijing to reverse subsidence.

WINDERMERE --   Florida

Crews in Orange County are working to stop a large sinkhole from growing behind a Windermere home.

The sinkhole opened up in the backyard of a home on Indian Deer Road, in a subdivision off County Road 535 at Tilden Road.

At last check around 9:30 a.m. Thursday, the hole has grown to about 100 feet by 100 feet. Officials said only about 2 feet separate the sinkhole from the back of the home.

Crews said the hole is about 50 feet deep, and has swallowed up several oak trees, which look like bushes in the bottom of the massive hole.

The family renting the home has been evacuated, including four children, a cat and a dog. They said they had only been living there for two months.

Firefighters have begun helping the family move their belongings.

Family members said a hammock their son was lying on just Wednesday night is now at the bottom of the sinkhole, tied to two trees.

http://www.cfnews13.com/content/news/cfnews13/news/article.html/con...

http://saskatoon.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20120507/sask-sas-...

sounds like the ground opened up under a store with a sewer collasping as a result.

CTV Saskatoon

Date:  Tuesday May. 8, 2012 8:03 AM CST