Massive 30-foot hole opens up inches away from Ocala home
OCALA, Fla. - Residents in an Ocala neighborhood were asked to evacuate after a 30-foot hole opened a few feet away from a home.
On Wednesday, firefighters responded to a flood assessment call near SE 28th Place and SE Fifth Terrace.
When they arrived, they encountered a duplex with a flooded front yard and a "ground depression" of nearly 30 feet that was less than five feet from the residence, according to a press release.
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Crews alerted the residents who were evacuated safely. No injuries were reported.
Traci Rogers lives in the duplex directly impacted by the hole. She was at work Wednesday morning when her next-door neighbor texted her a picture of the hole. When she arrived, she couldn't believe what she saw in front of her.
"I immediately started crying and just went inside and started packing up the important things," she said.
Firefighters eventually came knocking on her door, telling her to evacuate.
"They just said ... we're not allowed to live there until further notice," Rogers said.
There's now a red sign on her door and her neighbors from the city, warning them it’s dangerous and unsafe to enter. With no idea when she’ll be able to return home, Rogers is staying with her parents until she figures out what to do next.
"I am so lost. I am devastated. I'm scared. I'm so stressed out," she said.