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Image Credit: Rob Melendez via WIKI Commons
Sink Hole Damage Claims
Sink hole damage is becoming more and more apparent in Florida and surrounding areas. Homes and other property can be consumed by the ground below, with what seems like no warning. If you pay attention to the area surrounding your home and possessions, you may be able to identify the possibility of sink hole forming. You just need to know what to look for.
Sink holes are a result of erosion that happens over thousands of years. When limestone is within a few hundred feet of the surface, they are more apt to occur. When a sink hole is formed, it is usually between ten and twelve feet wide. But, some have been reported that are hundreds of feet in diameter. Many lakes in Florida were once sinkholes!
When rain water seeps into the ground, it absorbs carbon dioxide and act in response with rotting foliage. This creates acidic water. When the acidic water makes its way through cracks and openings that are underground, it dissolves limestone and makes more holes underground. The cracks and holes underground begin to get bigger and hold more of the acidic water. All of this commotion underground eventually leads to a sinkhole on the surface. The surface simply can’t be sustained anymore, and is carried down into the holes below.
Rains and droughts both have significant effects on the making of sinkholes. When the ground dries out and then suddenly gets rushed with water, it is easier for sinkholes to form. It isn’t just Mother Nature that creates these holes. Human activities like drawing too much water from a well in the backyard, creating man-made ponds, digging new wells, and moving surface water can all speed up sink hole production. Sink holes can’t really be avoided, but they things that humans do to cause them can.
When drilling and other ground altering events occur, a sink hole may occur with no warning signs. Under normal conditions, sink holes usually occur gradually, and there are signs that you will see before they open up underneath you. Cracks in the foundation of your home or business are a sign that some movement may be happening below. Other indications are doors and windows that fail to line up when closing, circular round cracks in a certain area of the ground, vegetation stress, and turbidity in local well water.
It can be overwhelming when sink holes cause damage to your property. If you feel that you need help and don’t know where to turn, contact a public adjuster at your earliest convenience and get assistance with your sink hole damage claim.