LAKELAND, Fla. — A new sinkhole in Polk County opened Friday morning, the second sinkhole to do so this year.
The sheriff's office said there are signs the sinkhole has filled with some water, but it's a private property issue. No other information was released.
There are currently roadblocks in the area of Scott Lake Road in Lakeland after it reopened. The new sinkhole is estimated to be about 50 feet wide and possibly as deep as 12 feet.
A separate sinkhole closed down roads in June, this marks the second time the sinkhole has reopened this year.
Southwest Florida Water Management District staff inspected the site to assess the impacts. They stated the property owner hired a contractor to stabilize the sinkhole in the summer.
They added that the property owner, who was also at the site, plans to backfill the sinkhole tomorrow if the activity stabilizes.
Neighbors near Scott Lake have been dealing with the repercussions even longer than since June.
In 2006, multiple sinkholes on the lake bottom opened up, which partially drained the lake, damaged homes, and sank a gazebo.
Earlier this year, another sinkhole in the Tampa Bay area opened. The sinkhole in Seffer that reopened in July originally opened in 2013 and made national headlines when it killed a 36-year-old man who was asleep in bed. The hole opened, and the floor collapsed beneath him.
