Texas –
Sinkhole or hole in sinking ground appeared in a small town in Texas, United States. The problem is, the size continues to grow so that the local residents are afraid that they will be swallowed by the sinkhole.
As quoted detikINET from Yahoo News, Tuesday (11/4/2023) the sinkhole first appeared in 2008 in the small town of Daisetta, Texas, United States. At that time, it was 274 meters wide and 79 meters deep and had become a big concern because it swallowed up trees and buildings. But then, the hole stopped growing.
For 15 years, the residents, who number around 1,000 people, never thought the sinkhole would be a problem. But suddenly, it was indicated that the hole was slowly increasing in size and heading towards them. There is even a warehouse building swallowed up. Naturally, the residents began to get restless.
“Yes, the sinkhole has grown again and swallowed several square meters of land,” the authority said. Residents also find it difficult to sleep because they are afraid that their homes will be swallowed up. “I had so much trouble sleeping last night because I didn’t know if we were going to be swallowed,” said resident Jordana Priessler.
“My greatest fear is being swallowed sinkhole at night, that’s the reason we can’t sleep. We’ve packed things just in case so we can leave quickly if needed,” said another resident named Linda Hoover.
The sinkhole is also not far from a major highway. Local officials also asked for help from the United States Geological Survey. “Municipal officials are monitoring this sinkhole and are cooperating with central authorities,” they said.
Evacuation preparations have also been made. “The sinkhole is very difficult to predict. It can take up to a week for it to grow by a meter, but it can grow very large in one night,” said Erskin Holcomb of the local fire department.
This phenomenon of subsidence often occurs in karst areas or limestone hills due to natural dissolution of lime or due to acid rain. Some experts say sinkholes will form naturally over time, but events like earthquakes can shorten the time.
Besides often occurring in karst areas, sinkhole can also occur due to the slow subsidence of the soil due to the loss of the subsurface layer by gravity. Erosion of sediment layers or changes in soil structure can also cause subsidence. The last type of sinkhole is very dangerous because it can happen quickly and unexpectedly.
Watch Video “Sightings of Giant Holes Popping Up on the Shores of the Dead Sea“
(fyk/fay)
