Florida Residents Being Urged To Evacuate When Sinkholes Expand Near Homes
GAINESVILLE (CBSMiami/AP) -- A sinkhole in a north Florida neighborhood is expanding and now residents of six homes near that sinkhole are being urged to evacuate.
Johnnie Candiano, 22, his brother Beau Candiano, 20, and cousin Mason Morton had been looking at the sinkhole on Thursday afternoon when they heard a loud noise and saw a tree fall in, the Gainesville Sun reported.
By late afternoon, they hastily threw bags of their belongings into cars, ready to leave the home in Gainesville's West End Estates neighborhood.
The sinkhole appeared to be about 50 feet wide and about 30 feet deep, said JoAnne Rice, interim chief at Gainesville Fire Rescue.
At the scene of a large sinkhole in NW Gainesville. GFR tell me the sinkhole is in the backyard of a home. No one was hurt but residents are being asked to evacuate. @mycbs4 pic.twitter.com/H3MvzjsoPp
— Briana Nespral (@BrianaNespral) October 22, 2020
Rice told the newspaper that city officials urged the residents in six homes near the sinkhole to leave until geological experts deem the area safe. She said the sinkhole wasn't stable on Thursday afternoon, as crackling sounds were continuing.
"We can still see movement," she said.
Gainesville Fire Rescue will monitor the sinkhole and decide if more evacuations are needed, Rice said.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)