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Sinkhole or drywell collapse in New York (C) Daniel FriedmanSinkholes & Sudden Ground Subsidence

Sinkhole Diagnosis & Action Guide

  • POST a QUESTION or COMMENT about sinkholes what to do if you suspect or know that a sinkhole is developing or is active at your property or building

Sinkholes:

Immediate safety actions to take if you discover a sinkhole.

Here are key safety-steps to take if you observe or suspect a sudden ground or soil collapse - a potential or actual ground subsidence.

We describe sinkhole safety concerns and we explain what sinkholes are and why they occur. We describes the effects sinkholes or subsidences on buildings, and we give expert building and site inspection advice useful in identifying areas where there is an increased risk of sink holes at properties.

Watch out: The bare minimum that a property owner needs to know about sinkholes or any other sudden subsidence of soils at a property is that these conditions might be very dangerous.

Someone falling into a sink hole or into a collapsing septic tank could be seriously injured or even die.

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- Daniel Friedman, Publisher/Editor/Author - See WHO ARE WE?

What to do if a Sinkhole or Soil Subsidence is Observed or Suspected at a property

Photograph of a sink hole swallowing a house in Florida

If a suspicious hole, subsidence, or depression appears at a property the owner should rope off and prevent access to the area to prevent anyone from falling into the opening, and then should seek prompt assistance from a qualified expert, geotechnical engineer, septic contractor, excavator, or the like.

Quoting from our lead sink holes article at SINKHOLES & SUBSIDENCES - home

If a sinkhole is already visible near an inspected property or if signs of a sinkhole are observed the observer and/or property owner should contact local authorities (building department, police, fire department, depending on the size, location, and apparent seriousness, and the area should be roped off for safety.

If a sinkhole is noticed during a building inspection this information should be cited by the inspector as a potential safety concern and significant expense requiring immediate professional action. Synonyms and similar terms for sink holes include: shake hole, swallow hole, swallet, doline, cenote, moulin, and glacier mill.

Watch Out: Sinkholes or even small soil subsidences can be an immediate potential life-safety concern. For home owners, inspectors, professional and trade association standards, building inspection & home inspection standards, and in some states, inspector licensing regulations (should) require you make to appropriate notifications.

Article Contents

How to Research an Apparent Sinkhole in Your Neighborhood

What to do About a Sudden Subsidence or Yard Collapse

Watch out:  Immediately rope off the area of any soil subsidence or suspected old septic tank or cesspool area, and mark it plainly as unsafe so that a wandering neighbor, adult or child, does not go near nor fall into this hole. It could be quite dangerous.

See CESSPOOL SAFETY WARNINGS for examples of potentially fatal cesspool collapse hazards.

We are elated that no one fell in to the hole, and that no one walked-over and fell into what may have been an imminent collapse well before it was so visible - such catastrophes can be fatal.

Better Off if it is Not a Sinkhole

If the back yard cave-in is nowhere near any buildings, and if you can establish that it is not a true sink-hole but rather something local like an old cesspool collapse, it probably is not a risk to the building foundation. At events such as this one it is proper to ask if the cause was an old septic tank, drywell, or cesspool, long abandoned and not filled in.

Local Flooding and Sinkholes

However the area where this back yard sinkhole was observed has been reported to produce (smaller) soil subsidences and "sinkholes" due to the combination of clay soils, poor drainage, and a history of local flooding in times of heavy rain.

For example see Sinkholes in Whitestone New York Associated with Flooding Conditions.

Signs of Old Septic or Drywell Components

Look at and in the hole itself and at any debris to see if you see pieces of piping (upper right near the drywell in the photo) - identifying these can save you some future worry and maybe geotechnical engineering costs - that is, if we can be sure it was an old tank and not a sinkhole the risk of other sudden collapses and sinkholes is of course less. In

this case the piping visible in the photo was identified by the owner as electrical, from an electrical lighting pole that fell into the opening, not septic components.

The light colored material in the hole in our photo above was considered to be due to clay soils, not sewage waste.

Finally, if it was an old septic tank, or cesspool, warn neighbors whose homes are of similar age that they might have the same condition and the same hazards lurking.

What if it Is a Real Sink Hole?

IF there remains a concern that this is a true sinkhole the risk of other property subsidence that could also threaten buildings could be important.

Your local county and highway or building departments can tell you if sink-holes have been found in your area - you may need the services a local geotechnical engineer to inspect the site, possibly taking soil borings, and then advise you further. Other clues about imminent sink-holes and sink-hole collapses are discussed

at SINKHOLES, WARNING SIGNS.

Sinkhole Repair Services

Companies identify themselves as sinkhole damage repair experts are listed at SINKHOLE DAMAGE REPAIRS or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Sinkholes and Sudden Land Subsidence References, Products, Consultants

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Reader Comments, Questions & Answers About The Article Above

Below you will find questions and answers previously posted on this page at its page bottom reader comment box.

Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

Is there a reward fee for calling in a sinkhole?

If you call in a sinkhole in your neighborhood can you get paid for calling it in? On 2018-07-24 by Erik

by (mod) -

Not that I've encountered. I think your neighbors and your local health, police, and safety officials figure it's enough of a reward to the person calling-in a sinkhole for the person to realize they may have saved their own life or that of a neighbour.


I'm worried about a growing hole in the parking lot at my building

Its a hole in the parking lot of the building I live in, the maintenance man patched it, within a week it back,I think my landlord is too cheap to repair it,but its getting bigger and bigger.

I didn't use my real name, because I don't want to get put out On 2018-04-13 by Jane

by (mod) -

Jane

If you think there's a life safety hazard where you live, and if your building management have been informed but you feel that unsafe conditions remain you may have to take recourse with your local building department.


I need help with a sinkhole forming in my back yard

I might have a problem with a Sink Hole ocuring in my backyard need immediate attention to this problem cell 808 7410315 On 2017-05-19 by alfred castro

by (mod) -

Alfred,

You need to call someone local who can make an onsite inspection and assessment. If you fear that there is an immediate threat to life-safety, get everyone away from the area and call emergency services.


Question: Who is responsible for filling in an old abandoned septic tank?

If the city made everyone go to city sewer system, who was responsible for filling in the old septic system? (Mar 26, 2014) Marg

Reply:

Marg this is a septic system local ordinance question not a sinkhole question.

Unfortunately I doubt there is a single "right" answer about who bears what responsibility and cost, but I'd expect that the property owner will be responsible for proper and safe abandonment of their existing septic tank.

Ask your local building department and let us know what you're told.

Watch out: abandoned septic tanks can be a serious life-safety hazard: someone walking over an improperl-abandoned septic tank may fall in - a possible cause of a quick and ugly death.

See our explanation and warnings at SEPTIC & CESSPOOL SAFETY

Then to abandon the septic tank see this SEPTIC TANK ABANDONMENT GUIDE 


Question: how can I know if there are sinkholes in Contra Costa County?

Are there any sinkholes in Contra Costa county? (June 28, 2014) monica

Reply:

Monica,

Sinkholes have been reported in

Contra Costa county in Florida
Contra Costa county in California

In Florida sinkholes occur in many areas of the state but are most common in Hernando, Hillsborough and Pasco counties.

Sinkholes in South Florida are less common.

 

Question: Are these clues that my home is over a sinkhole?

My bathroom door is very hard to close all of a sudden. My bedroom door closes if I open it, and if I open my refrigerator door a little, it swings wide open.

There was a bad leak under my apartment complex that went without being repaired for several months. I am worried a sinkhole is developing. (Dec 11, 2014) LISA

Reply:

Lisa

Check with your neighbours: if the building is settling there may be others with the same concerns that you describe, confirming the theory about movement.

Ask your building management to check for building movement signs such as the presence of a sinkhole, foundation damage, cracking, bending, bowing, buckling - an onsite expert is needed : this is not a concern that can be diagnosed by e-text.


...

Continue reading at SINKHOLES COURSE - X-Ray Vision? - can careful attention to site details help spot hard-to-see clues indicating a sinkhole or other dangers?, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Sinkhole & Subsidence Articles

Suggested citation for this web page

SINKHOLES - IMMEDIATE SAFETY ACTIONS at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.


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INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to SINKHOLES

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Citations & References

In addition to any citations in the article above, a full list is available on request.

  • "A Hole in the Ground Erupts, to Estonia's Delight", New York Times, 9 December 2008 p. 10.
  • Thanks to reader Y.Z., Whitestone, NY for discussing a back yard collapse 4/1/2010
  • "Flushing road to disaster? Using sinkhole-plagued street is game of chance, locals say", Clare Trapasso, New York NY DAILY NEWS, 8 May 2009
    http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/05/08/2009-05-08_flushing_road_to_disaster_using_sinkholeplagued_street_is_
    game_of_chance_locals_.html#ixzz0jx0mrAmG) in 2009:
  • "Sinkhole Reported, Buffalo New York" - Wikinews
    http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Sinkhole_reported_in_Buffalo,_New_York

    Washington street between E. Eagle and Clinton was closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic. Wikinews was on scene and obtained exclusive photos and statements. City officials say the sinkhole is located in an area under the road where a tunnel, about 40 feet wide ... portions of the blacktop were seen caving in near the sidewalks. When city engineers examined the holes, they found it to span the entire width of the street and nearly a half the block's length with the hole being nearly 15 feet deep. Officials say the only thing holding up the road, is the thin layer of concrete and asphalt that make up the road's surface. Wikinews reported (anonymously) that the problems began nearly 10 years previously.

  • In addition to citations & references found in this article, see the research citations given at the end of the related articles found at our suggested

    CONTINUE READING or RECOMMENDED ARTICLES.

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