Sinkhole Forces Pennsylvania Family To Evacuate Home
A recent sinkhole in Pennsylvania forced a family to temporarily evacuate their home.
Doris Jenkins reportedly returned home from walking her dog to find that a 20-foot sinkhole had consumed a portion of her driveway.
Since officials weren’t sure if the house itself had been compromised by the sinkhole, the family was asked to leave the house for their own safety. Doris’ daughter Inga was particularly upset by the whole situation.
“I wasn’t thinking that this was how I was going to be spend my Sunday afternoon. It’s pretty upsetting to see your driveway start to fall into a hole,” Inga explained.
Officials believe that a 40-year-old sewage pipe likely caused the corrosion that led to the sinkhole opening up in the Jenkins’ front yard. Crews said that nearly 600 feet of piping will need to be replacement at some point in the near future.
In order to prevent the situation from getting any worse for the family, crews have filled the sinkhole with concrete, sand, and fresh soil. They are hoping that this will reinforce the hole enough to prevent something similar from happening again.
This particular area of Pennsylvania reportedly sits on a limestone base. This means that sinkholes are not an uncommon occurrence in the area. Fortunately for the Doris Jenkins and her family, the problem appears to have been solved. They have since been allowed to return to their home.
“It’s nice to be back home, but look at the mess out there. What can you do?” Doris said of the mess in her front yard. Officials estimated the hole to be around 30 feet wide and 12 feet deep.
In order to make sure nobody else in the neighborhood is having the same problem as the Jenkins family, crews are inspecting nearby homes for sinkholes.
Earlier this month, a sinkhole opened up inside a home in Tampa, Florida. The man who was sleeping in the house at the time reportedly died during the incident. Despite efforts from rescue crews, his body was never recovered.
Are you concerned about sinkholes in your neighborhood?
