Giant sinkhole in Texas is expanding, worrying residents
A massive sinkhole in Daisetta, Texas, that was dormant for over 15 years has started expanding again, threatening nearby homes and structures.
History of the Daisetta, Texas, sinkhole
The sinkhole in Daisetta first appeared on May 8, 2008, measuring around 20 feet across. In two days, the crater grew to about 900 feet across and 260 feet deep, The Dallas Morning News reported.
The sinkhole was stable until April 2, when it suddenly began collapsing again, swallowing a building and storage tanks.
“My neighbor came over and said he kept hearing popping sounds like a gunshot. We went to the backyard, and there were buildings falling in. It was like a movie. You can see cracks forming in the ground,” resident Tim Priessler told ABC 13.
Assistant Fire Marshal Erskin Holcomb estimated that the sinkhole has grown 150 feet in length and depth, making the sinkhole approximately 1,050 feet long.
Drone footage from Bluebonnet News shows the damage created by the sinkhole.
What caused the Daisetta, Texas, sinkhole?
Randall Orndorff, a research geologist for the U.S. Geological Survey, told NPR that the town of Daisetta is built on a salt dome.
The salt dome was used as a storage facility by oil and gas companies that would pump wastewater underground, dissolving the salt and making the ground unstable.
Orndoff also suggested that hurricanes over the years also contributed to creating the sinkhole.
“When you get a lot of precipitation, everything’s dissolving in the bedrock,” he stated.
