Neighbors fear hole that partially swallowed 2 Lakeland houses could spread

LAKELAND, Fla. — After the ground collapsed underneath two homes in North Lakeland, neighbors are worried their homes could be next.

Parts of a house crumbled into a gaping hole during the relentless rains of Hurricane Milton. Neighbors said the man who lives in the house at 3619 Willow Wisp Drive North was inside as the ground began to give way.

He made it out safely, and so did the family next door whose home was also impacted. Neighbors are still shaken up by the ordeal.

"It was scary because, first of all, I had never seen a sinkhole before, and then it being so close to home, it was really scary,” said Alicia Garcia.

Polk County officials are investigating whether the crater is a sinkhole or a washout from the hurricane.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a sinkhole is a depression in the ground with no natural external surface drainage. It forms when the ground beneath an area slowly dissolves, and there is not enough support for the land above it.

According to the state Department of Environmental Protection, Central Florida is ground zero for sinkholes. Garcia has lived in the North Lakeland neighborhood for 17 years and is concerned the hole could spread.

“It is too close to home; it will come out further. Also, I'm worried about the property values, that it’s going to come down because of it,” Garcia said.

From the air you can see the foundations of the homes sunken in.

The sidewalk leading up to the front door of one of the homes caved into the earth. A vintage yellow pickup truck sits at the bottom of the hole between the houses. People drive by all day to see the devastation.

“Somebody needs to figure out what the sinkhole likelihood of every property that’s assessed. It should be done automatically on every property to see if you are a likely for a sinkhole on your property,” said Charles Rockhold.