Sinkhole collapses Disney-area resort

[unhappycamper]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-sinkhole-damage-disney-area-resort-20130812,0,376846.story



Sinkhole causes damage to condo resort near Disney World

Sinkhole collapses Disney-area resort
By Arelis R. Hernández, Orlando Sentinel
8:14 a.m. EDT, August 12, 2013

First came the cracking sounds. Then windows started blowing out. And before they knew it, guests felt the ground beneath their Lake County resort near Disney World sink into the ground.

Guests had only 10 to 15 minutes to escape the collapsing buildings at the Summer Bay Resort on U.S. Highway 192 in Clermont, located about 7 miles east of Walt Disney World resort, where a large sinkhole — about 60 feet in diameter and 15 feet deep — opened in the earth late Sunday.

No one was injured but about three dozen resort goers left behind car keys, medication and other personal belongings inside their luxury condominiums after the crumbling edifices were evacuated.

"My heart sunk. I was sick to my stomach," said resort president Paul Caldwell after getting a call about 10:30 p.m. from his staff that the 15-year-old buildings full of guests were sinking into the ground.

[Ian David]

1. Damn! I was hoping....

... that THIS...



... got sucked into the ground.

[TheMastersNemesis]

2. If Florida Sank Would We Miss It?

If global warming were to accelerate much of Florida would be under water. These sink holes just might be a warning and who knows how many of them there are or where they are.

[xchrom]

3. OOOPSIE! nt

[hatrack]

4. Hmmm . . . maybe pumping out all that groundwater wasn't such a good idea . .

Oh well, probably no connection - full speed ahead, Mr. Lightoller!

[nil desperandum]

6. You beat me to the punch on this comment!

Agreed, perhaps someday we might start to realize it's not wise to just keep defecating where we eat....I suspect as long as we remain instant gratification, short term payout junkies that's going to be a hard sell.

[nil desperandum]

5. Water

You can't keep using millions of gallons of water and draining the aquifer without consequence. The unrestricted use of these unbelievably large quantities of water on a regular basis are finally paying off their karmic and physical debt...the absence of millions of gallons of liquid will be filled with something other than air, apparently condos from Disney World in this case...

[hatrack]

7. I've been following multiple reports of serious pollution problems at FL's springs & bays

These were absolutely pristine, gorgeous sites that had been known for thousands of years to the native peoples and for centuries to white settlers.

And now, algae blooms, fecal coliform and other goodies are showing up. Why? Because people won't fucking stop pumping groundwater so that we can keep on feeding a global surplus of sugar and sugar subsidies, and so that phosphate companies can meet minimal pollution standards.

Gah.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/water/phosphate-giant-mosaic-pumps-from-floridas-aquifer-to-dilute-its-pollution/2132394

http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20130715/OPINION05/307150005/Rob-Williams-Time-running-out-springs

http://www.floridasportsman.com/2013/07/21/speak-up-petition-to-stop-the-lake-okeechobee-discharges/

[HooptieWagon]

9. Sinkholes occured before the first gallon of water was ever pumped.

There is a big problem with over-pumping the aquifer, but that doesn't necessarily cause sinkholes. Its the groundwater dissolving the limestone bedrock that causes the sinkholes. Several causes can then result in ground above collapsing into the void....rain, no rain, ground shaking from heavy construction machinery, or just circumstance.

[nil desperandum]

10. Thanks for the heads up, I'd still like to see a reponsible aquifer use plan in place.

[HooptieWagon]

11. Absolutely!

Besides residential use, agriculture and commercial use place great demands on the aquifer. There needs to be better planning and regulation to preserve it, and to restore FL's springs.

[OKIsItJustMe]

12. Right you are

“Acid rain” is also a contributing factor, as it dissolves the underlying limestone and dolomite.

Here’s some helpful reading:
http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2013/0306/Why-are-there-so-many-sinkholes-in-Florida
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/geology/geologictopics/sinkhole.htm

[HooptieWagon]

8. My sister loves nearby, in Clermont.nt