More sinkholes in Florida.

Just a few cracks a couple of years ago turned into a 90 foot wide and 60 foot deep sinkhole Thursday. At least six houses affected in north Florida, above the same Floridan Aquifer that produces sinkholes here in south Georgia. Here in Lowndes County Michael McCormick has more than a few cracks: he has a sinkhole in his garage. Will Lowndes County do something before we wake up to news of man’s house fell into a sinkhole overnight?

ABC News Blogs 14 November 2013, Florida Sinkhole Swallows Home

Six other homes have been evacuated as a precaution and Duke Energy has shut down power to the area.

A growing sinkhole in Florida has swallowed at least one home, caused another to begin collapsing and forced at least six homes to be evacuated.

The sinkhole began opening in a neighborhood just north of downtown Dunedin, Fla., near Tampa, early this morning, according to ABC News affiliate WFTS-TV in Tampa.

By 7 a.m., the sinkhole was estimated at 80 feet wide and 40 feet deep, and still expanding, Dunedin Deputy Fire Chief Tripp Barrs told WFTS.

Curious how this happens just after a freeze Wednesday night. Remember how only a few years ago Florida news was pretty clear about massive pumping from the aquifer can cause sinkholes, and to spray strawberries for a freeze occured shortly before a man fell into a sinkhole in his bedroom last March?

More from WTFS 15 February 2013, Crews race against the clock to fill Dunedin sinkhole

Officials say it will take 12,000 cubic yards — 600 dump trucks — to fill the hole once the homes are leveled.

Crews will work as long as there is daylight, then continue the process on Saturday.

Meanwhile, cracks have appeared in a total of five homes in the neighborhood.

WFTS 14 November 2013, Two homes collapse into sinkhole in Dunedin,

This picture exclusive to ABC Action news from the company heading up repairs. CRA tells us only a few cracks and loose soil detected; nothing to indicate something of this size was imminent.

Thursday it ate the man’s boat, pool, and porch, as well as his house.

That’s more than a crack under Michael McCormick’s garage in Lowndes County, only a mile or so from a Lowndes County well that went in shortly before the sinkhole appeared. Will Lowndes County do something about that, or will we wake up one morning to “house fell into sinkhole in Lowndes County”? We already had the Snake Nation Road sinkhole that cost the county at least $430,000 to reroute the road after it failed to fill in the sinkhole. What will a lack of prevention on the part of Lowndes County do to real estate values?

Video from WFTS Thursday:

-jsq