Video shows 60-foot-deep sinkhole that appeared in front of Florida home

"Our neighbor woke us up around 8, told us there was a big hole in our front yard."

by Georgia McCarthur and Nathaniel Rodriguez | Jan. 23, 2024

Story at a glance

A big sinkhole opened up in the front yard of a Florida home on Saturday.

Officials with Polk County Fire Rescue said the sinkhole opened up outside a home in Highland City, about 40 miles east of Tampa.

The hole was about 15 feet wide and 60 feet deep.

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A massive sinkhole has opened in the front yard of a Florida home, causing concern for the man who lives there and his neighbors alike.

Officials with Polk County Fire Rescue said the sinkhole opened up on Saturday outside a home in Highland City, about 40 miles east of Tampa.

“We got woken up with our neighbor,” resident Kyle Austin told Nexstar’s WFLA. “Our neighbor woke us up around 8, told us there was a big hole in our front yard. We went out and looked, and it’s about a 60-foot drop down in our front yard.”

According to PCFR’s social media, the hole was about 15 feet wide and 60 feet deep as of 11:22 a.m. Saturday.

“I am very nervous for having two kids being that close to a sinkhole and like 30 feet from their room,” Austin said.

“It’s very odd and it’s very unsettling to know that there’s a hole that far, you know, 200 feet from your home,” neighbor Ron Kelly told WFLA.

The roadway is still open at this time as officials say the sinkhole is not an immediate threat to drivers at this time.

The Polk County Fire Rescue said it will keep monitoring the sinkhole over the next few days but officials told Austin they wouldn’t be able to repair it until Tuesday.