© 2024 WLRN
MIAMI | SOUTH FLORIDA
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
In South Florida, where the Everglades meet the bays, environmental challenges abound. Sea level rise threatens homes and real estate. Invasive species imperil native plants and animals. Pesticides reduce the risk of mosquito-borne diseases, but at what cost? WLRN's award-winning environment reporting strives to capture the color and complexity of human interaction with one of the most biodiverse areas of the planet.

Number Of Sinkholes In Florida Increase After Hurricane Irma

NPR
This 1981 sinkhole swallowed a woman's house and part of a car dealership in Winter Park.

The number of sinkholes in Florida has surged since Hurricane Irma.

Some 400 sinkholes have been reported statewide since Hurricane Irma hit in September.

Anthony Randazzo of the engineering and geology firm Geohazards says water flowing underground during such heavy rain events brings with it clay and sand.

“Once you begin to do this you promote a lack of support for the ground surface to be able to hold or support a structure,” said Randazzo. 

He says the sinkholes will continue and that north and central Florida especially are prone with their old limestone that is close to the surface and rife with caverns and cavities.

More On This Topic