Flooding and tropical storms have caused sinkholes and sinkhole damage in many areas across the country from Guatemala City to right here in Tennessee. We have all unfortunately experienced the damages flooding can cause and many of us are still picking up the pieces from the recent flooding. Before all this flooding and storms, many of us may never have experienced a sinkhole or the damage it can cause. This is why many sinkhole victims are probably wondering what exactly a sinkhole is and how much damage it can truly cause.
Sinkholes can occur naturally in the landscape in many places in Florida and in Tennessee. Sinkholes are becoming more common in these areas because of new developments in ground water and other land resources. Many sinkholes are usually just an annoyance but as many of us here in Tennessee now know they can also cause substantial or even devastating damage to buildings, roads, and other structures and they can even cause more flood damage when they are plugged up because they can capture surface water and create new lakes and wetlands in areas where they may not have been water before.
There are three types of sinkholes. These include: dissolution sinkholes, cover-subsidence sinkholes, and cover-collapse sinkholes. A dissolution sinkhole is when water comes in contact with rock or with openings in the rock. This can be anywhere from slight like a minor rainfall or aggressive like with the recent flooding. Cover-subsidence sinkholes develop more slowly and cover areas that are easy to break or pass through and may contain sand. Finally, cover-collapse sinkholes can cause catastrophic damages like the ones in Tennessee and across the country and can develop abruptly in a short amount of time. They usually occur in areas containing clay.
Many people may also be wondering if the damage they have experienced is actually from a sinkhole. There are many other things that can cause soil problems and damage to structures that are actually not a sinkhole. These things may include but are not limited to:
• Shrink-Swell Clay (i.e. rainfall amounts causing the soil to absorb large amounts of water and either swell or shrink)
• Buried debris (i.e. foundation damage caused by a builder or people burring materials in the area)
• Vegetation damage (i.e. growing plants)
• Foundation pressure
• High groundwater levels
These things can cause soil or other structure damage and may not be as serious as a sinkhole but can be just as damaging.
Due to all the damage across the country and right here to many residents of Tennessee because of storms and flooding, many people have suffered large amounts of property and personal damage. This has left many people confused about sinkholes and the damage they can truly cause. If you or a loved one has been the victim of a sinkhole, please contract one of our experienced and caring sinkhole damage attorneys right away. We will hear your case and make sure you get the care and compensation you deserve. Contact us online or call us at 800.705.2121 to set up a FREE consultation to discuss your legal options.