Sinkhole in Florida remains unstable as crews pump 20,000 gallons of water
By Kennedy Mason
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MAITLAND, Florida (WESH) — A sinkhole that opened along North Wymore Road in Maitland remains unstable Monday as Orange County Public Works crews continue testing the site by pumping thousands of gallons of water into the hole.
Officials said crews have pumped about 20,000 gallons of water into the sinkhole so far, but the hole is not retaining the water — a sign that the ground beneath the roadway has not stabilized enough for repairs to begin.
North Wymore Road remained closed Monday, with barricades and Maitland police blocking traffic near the damaged section of roadway.
Heavy equipment, trucks and work crews lined the closed roadway as public works officials monitored conditions and evaluated the sinkhole.
“We’ve already talked about 20,000 gallons of water in it so far,” said Darrell Moody with Orange County Public Works.
Crews are using the water test to determine whether the sinkhole continues to drain underground. Officials said the hole must stabilize before reconstruction plans can move forward.
The sinkhole first opened Friday morning, swallowing a portion of North Wymore Road. Public works officials said the hole initially measured about 20 feet in diameter before doubling in size by Friday night.
Despite the rapid expansion early on, officials said the sinkhole showed little to no growth over the weekend.
Moody said recent heavy rainfall may have contributed to the collapse.
“We did get some pretty decent rain last week, so it’s not hard to imagine that these sinkholes form,” Moody said. “And if you spend any length of time in Central Florida, you know that they are pretty common.”
Residents in the area said they are closely watching the situation and hoping the ground has stopped shifting.
“I really want to know that it has stopped growing,” said Maitland resident Susan Jaffee. “That’s what I would say is really my biggest concern.”
Once engineers determine the sinkhole is stable, crews will begin the repair process.
“Then we can go in and backfill,” Moody said. “We’ll remove the asphalt, we’ll backfill it with dirt and earth, and then we’ll make the roadway repairs.”
For now, Orange County Public Works said crews will continue pumping water into the sinkhole until it begins holding water, indicating the area beneath the roadway has stabilized.
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