The most damage from sinkholes occurs in Florida, Texas, Alabama, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. In particular, Florida’s limestone terrain makes this state one of the most common places for sinkhole damage claims. Sinkholes are the result of the natural process of erosion developing within hundreds of feet below the surface. This phenomenon occurs naturally by the collapse of the surface layer that has been formed under pressure, typically from a range of extreme droughts or rains, and at times activities from humans have been accounted for as contributing factors.
One example of sinkhole damage took place in March of 2013. That event caused an entire house to fall into a huge sinkhole in a suburb of Tampa, Florida, receiving national attention. Although such large, sudden and destructive sinkholes are relatively rare, thousands of small sinkholes appear in the U.S. each year. As a matter of fact, from September 2017, when Hurricane Irma made landfall, through April 2018, there were over 400 reports of sinkholes throughout the State of Florida.
In the State of Florida, sinkhole damage claims must be filed within a two-year period after they occur.
