Sinkhole opens in Groveland; home evacuations ordered

GROVELAND — City officials have condemned a house with a gaping sinkhole beneath the corner of the home and ordered the evacuation of two neighboring houses.

The house is at 117 Compass Rose Drive.

"The city received a call for service at 6:30 p.m. (Saturday)," said Jennifer Clutts, city spokeswoman.

"Everyone is safe and the Red Cross is assisting the homeowners," she said. The homeowners on top of the sinkhole are staying at a hotel."

Sinkholes are not uncommon. Floridians live atop a thin crust of limestone, sand and prehistoric sea shells called karst. It serves as a cover for underground caverns and the state's water supply and is vulnerable to too much or too little rain and the weight of manmade structures.

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Sinkhole opens in Groveland; home evacuations ordered