A giant sinkhole in a small Texas town has suddenly increased in size after 15 years of no activity, according to news reports from ABC13 Houston.
The sinkhole, located in Daisetta in Liberty County, first opened in 2008 and measured about 20 feet in diameter. Overnight, the hole grew into a 900-foot diameter crater some 260 feet deep, devouring cars, trees, utility poles, oil tanks, and other structures as it collapsed.
Since then, the surrounding ground had remained stable — until Sunday. At about 6 p.m., a neighbor notified city officials that the hole was collapsing again.
The local county’s Assistant Fire Marshal Erskin Holcomb estimated that the sinkhole has now increased by about 150 feet in width and 150 feet in depth, per ABC 13.
Tim Priessler, a neighbor who lives nearby, said he heard loud popping noises and saw cracks in the ground. He and other neighbors watched as buildings collapsed into the sinkhole. Some tanks and buildings near the edge of the hole appeared to be leaning and in danger of being swallowed by the crater.
Local officials are monitoring the situation and will provide updates and warnings to the community as needed. However, Holcomb said there is not much that can be done to remedy the problem, as it is simply an act of nature.
The crater is located on the edge of the DeLoach Oil and Gas Waste Well just west of FM 770. The owner of the property is reportedly working with an environmental specialist to determine what should be done with five plastic tanks containing sodium silicate, which may be in danger of falling into the sinkhole, according to ABC13.
“It is on private property where it’s taken place right now, and we’ve notified the people that live right there, and a geologist is coming out today to look and see if he can give us some insight to it,” Mayor Eric Thaxton’s office told The Dallas Express.
The unpredictability of the sinkhole has left surrounding neighbors on edge.
“I was having a lot of trouble going to sleep last night because I didn’t know if we were going to get swallowed up. My family told me it happened kind of fast before,” Jordana Priessler told ABC 13.
“We just never thought it would start again,” said Linda Hoover, who lives right next to the sinkhole, per ABC 13. “When we bought our house a few years ago, we were under the understanding that it was stabilized.”
She added that she and her family are prepared to leave in a hurry if that becomes necessary.
The entire city of Daisetta is situated on a salt dome, which could be a factor contributing to the sinkhole. In 2012, the entire community of Bayou Corne, Louisiana, which was built near a salt dome, had to be evacuated when a one-acre sinkhole opened up. The hole has since grown to span 34 acres.