Sinkholes could be the next problem created by the heavy rainfall we’ve seen over the past week in Central Florida, with the heaviest flooding along the coast.

“If you start hearing noises on your property, if you doors don’t close properly or windows don’t close or cracking – that’s a big thing," said Manoj Chopra, a civil engineering professor at University of Central Florida.

Chopra said homeowners should also look for changes in their landscape. Are trees or fence posts starting to sag or slant? Are ponds starting to form where water has never collected before? All of that could be a result of changes beneath the surface.

Chopra said Florida’s soil sits on top of limestone and clay, and over time cracks develop.

“And when the cracks open up, the soil on top of it typically descend and sometimes the clay starts to go through the cracked limestone," he said.

He said the heavy rain puts more pressure on the soil and can cause the cracks to grow. So as puddles become the norm in areas of Central Florida, Chopra said sinkholes are a strong possibility.

“To the DeLand area and the Deltona area [of Volusia County], they’ve also had a history of sinkholes,” he said.

Chopra added not to confuse sinkholes with potholes.

He said in these situations where an area experiences a lot of rainfall, sinkholes can happen instantly, rather than over a long period of time.

If you suspect a sinkhole could be forming, contact the Florida Geological Survey Sinkhole Information Helpline at 850-617-0301.

Sinkhole signs and causes

There are several signs you can watch for that may lead to the formation of a sinkhole:

  • Fresh exposure on fence posts, foundations and trees that result when the ground sinks
  • Slumping, sagging or slanting fence posts, trees or other objects
  • Doors and windows that fail to close properly
  • Ponding: Small ponds of rainfall forming where water has not collected before
  • Wilting of small, circular areas of vegetation, because the moisture that normally supports vegetation in the area is draining into a developing sinkhole below the surface
  • Turbidity in water in nearby wells
  • Structural cracks in walls, floors and pavement
  • Cracks in the ground surface.