"Lake Rose" Sinkhole - Winter Park, Florida
N 28° 35.630 W 081° 21.692
17R E 464649 N 3163040
An international phenomenon in May of 1981, it's now a Lake named after a lady who lost her house in the sinkhole.
Waymark Code: WMGPCW
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 03/27/2013
Views: 31
I'd never ever heard of Winter Park, Lake Rose or any type of natural calamity that had occurred her until I came down to Florida to vacation. I was in the area to go to Disney, but also wanted to grab a cache or two. I happened upon this location completely by mistake, but was fascinated by the story and all the stories that surrounded it.
Wikipedia describes the event as follows:
"In 1972, an agricultural agent and "resident layman expert on Central Florida water" named Henry Swanson wrote a letter warning Orange County mayors of the sinkhole danger that could be posed by overdevelopment and excessive groundwater use. Swanson predicted that the west Winter Park area would be especially at risk. In May 1981, during a period of record-low water levels in Florida's limestone aquifer, a massive sinkhole opened up near the corner of Denning Drive and Fairbanks Avenue."
"The sinkhole first appeared on the evening of May 8, 1981, near the house of Winter Park resident Mae Rose Williams (named Mae Rose Owens at the time). Newspaper accounts report that her dog Muffin barked fiercely as the sinkhole opened, and that she heard a "queer, swishing noise". Within a few hours, the sinkhole had swallowed a 40-year-old sycamore tree near her house, which disappeared with a "ploop" noise, as if pulled downward by the roots. The next morning, accompanied by a sound "like giant beavers chewing", the hole rapidly expanded to nearly 40 feet (12 m) wide. Her family was evacuated around noon, and that afternoon her house was consumed by the sinkhole. "
"The hole eventually widened to 320 feet (98 m) and to a depth of 90 feet (27 m), swallowing five Porsches at a repair shop, a pickup truck with camper top, the Winter Park municipal pool, and large portions of Denning Drive. Winter Park city employees were able to rescue toilets from the pool bathhouse before they were swallowed by the sinkhole. By May 9th, the sinkhole had swallowed nearly 250,000 cubic yards (190,000 m3) of earth, with damage estimated at $2 to $4 million dollars.Florida engineers have described the event as "the largest sinkhole event witnessed by man as a result of natural geological reasons or conditions."
"The sinkhole drew national attention and became a popular tourist attraction during the summer of 1981. A carnival-like atmosphere arose around the area, with vendors selling food, balloons, and t-shirts to visitors. The city of Winter Park sold sinkhole photographs for promotional and educational purposes. The sinkhole began to fill with water that summer, but on July 19th the water level suddenly dropped by a reported 15 to 20 feet (4.6 to 6.1 m)."
"As the novelty wore off, the city worked to repair the damage. Workers extracted the truck and three of the five Porsches swallowed by the sinkhole. Engineers filled in the bottom with dirt and concrete, the sinkhole stabilized, and in its place formed Lake Rose, named in honor of Mae Rose Williams. Diver reports from 2009 suggest that the lake has since been used to dispose of unwanted vehicles. Excepting a 1987 incident in which the bottom of the lake suddenly dropped 20 feet (6.1 m), causing erosion on the southern rim, the stabilized sinkhole has been generally quiet."
So if you're into interesting natural phenomenon such as this and live in or are traveling to Central Florida, you should really check this out.
Cheers
CZ
*Historic pictures are public domain photos
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