Sinkhole in Florida reopens for the third time after swallowing a sleeping man 10 years ago

In what seems to be one of the most alarming geologic phenomena, a sinkhole in Florida has reopened for the third time in 10 years.

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Reports indicate that a sinkhole in Seffner, Florida has reopened for the third time in 10 years, sparking major concern from residents within the area. Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, along with County engineers and Code Enforcement officials, were sent to the property where the sinkhole reopened on Monday, and according to officials, the sinkhole measures 12 feet by 12 feet and has an unknown depth.

Notably, this same sinkhole swallowed Jeffery Bush, who at the time was asleep in his bedroom when it opened up for the first time. Furthermore, officials at the time determined that the ground around Bush's property was dangerously unstable, resulting in Bush's home and two neighboring homes being demolished.

How does a sinkhole happen?

"Sinkholes are part of the slow, natural process of erosion in Florida's limestone terrain that occur over thousands of years. These common geologic phenomena generally occur where the limestone is within a few hundred feet of the land's surface. Though most are only 10 to 12 feet in diameter, sinkholes have been known to expand to hundreds of feet in diameter. Many of central and north Florida's lakes actually are the result of old sinkholes," per St Johns River Water Management District

Sinkholes can be triggered by human activities such as:

• Overwithdrawal of groundwater
• Diverting surface water from a large area and concentrating it in a single point
• Artificially creating ponds of surface water
• Drilling new water wells