Sinkhole opens up outside Lake Mary home for second time

LAKE MARY, Fla. — A sinkhole is threatening a home in Lake Mary.

The hole opened up behind a home on Lake Como Drive in the Hills of Lake Mary subdivision on Wednesday.

Crews were pouring concrete into the hole Thursday afternoon.

The city of Lake Mary deemed the home unsafe because there were cracks in the house.

WFTV found out that it is not the first time a sinkhole opened near the home.

The last hole, in August, forced the family into a hotel.

The repair for that problem was expected to cost more than $300,000, and was covered by their homeowner's insurance because the damage was considered catastrophic.

The recent sinkhole is about 25 feet deep and very close to the home.

"When it's your property and your house, it's devastating," said homeowner Debbie Coffman.

A representative from the company filling the sinkhole said that, while he couldn't talk about the Lake Mary problem, that typically if there is a sinkhole, then the ground around it is likely unstable.

"When you're dealing with unstable soils and sand, if you've got any kind of vibration in play you can imagine what could potentially happen," said Jim Flynn with LRE Ground Services.

The sinkhole created concern among neighbors, who said they were worried about their homes.

The pattern of what happened last time is similar to the recent sinkhole. The hole opened after a short period of rain, following weeks of very dry conditions.

Debbie Coffman said she and her family are now planning to spend Christmas in a hotel.

"It's pretty awful to happen anytime," said Coffman.

WFTV