Number of sinkholes in Florida surges since Hurricane Irma
Residents of a Central Florida neighborhood are stuck in a nightmare after more than a dozen sinkholes have opened, forcing the evacuation of eight homes. More than 400 sinkholes have been reported in the state since Hurricane Irma hit last September, a sudden spike from previous years, and now meteorologists predict this year’s hurricane season could be even worse.
A man in Florida sustained serious injures after crashing into cables across a roadway when a sinkhole opened up along the roadway on Sunday, according to officials.
The Florida Highway Patrol said the incident happened around 5:19 a.m. in Marion County at the intersection of State Road 35 and Dogwood Road.
A large sinkhole had opened up in the saturated ground as the region saw heavy rain and severe weather from Tropical Storm Cristobal.
The Marion County Sheriff's Office said a concrete utility pole had topped over as the sinkhole opened up, sending the traffic signals and cables into the intersection.
A sinkhole opened up along a roadway in Marion County, Florida, on Sunday, causing a crash. (Marion County Sheriff's Office)
The driver struck the cables that were stretched across the roadway, causing the vehicle to flip over.
The FHP said the vehicle eventually came to a final rest in the intersection, on its wheels, according to FOX35.
Marion County Sheriff’s Sgt. Paul Bloom told WFME crews were focused on keeping the public safe and away from the hole.
A sinkhole opened up along a roadway in Marion County, Florida, on Sunday, causing a crash. (Marion County Sheriff's Office)
“I just tell the public whenever we have a lot of rain like this, just be aware, use caution,” Bloom told WFME. “That’s another reason not to drive really fast in the rain — not that this person was driving fast. But to just drive with caution, because you never know what is up ahead of you in a rain like this, certainly in Florida.”
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Officials closed lanes of the roadway on Sunday to secure the area while crews prepared to make repairs.
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