Four sinkholes in The Villages have forced people from four homes — two of which have been condemned.
- 4 sinkholes open up in The Villages; 2 homes condemned
- 7 residents have been displaced
- Marion County, Villages officials still assessing holes
Officials from the Marion County Sheriff's Office and Marion Emergency Management were at the scene Thursday at the corner of McAlpin Street and McLawren Terrace in the village of Calumet Grove.
Seven residents have been evacuated.
A resident of the first home woke up to a noise, came outside and saw a sinkhole right in front of their door, officials said.
There is a crack on the house, and officials said the foundation is compromised.
"There is still dirt falling in the hole," said Lt. John Longacre with The Villages Public Safety Department. "You can hear it falling in and hitting water. It's about 20 feet deep."
Utilities to four homes closest to the hole have been disconnected.
Frank Neumann said he was sleeping early Thursday morning when it all started.
"We heard noises at about 12:30 at night, and I thought it was thunder... It kept making noises at different times."
Instead, it turned out to be three sinkholes opening up between his house and his neighbor's.
There's a fourth sinkhole right in front of his neighbor's door.
A golf course pond behind the homes drained into a crevasse toward the homes, officials said, but crews have stopped more water from coming into the pond.
On Friday, crews were taking core samples from the sinkholes, and officials were still trying to assess the holes before moving forward.