Massive sinkhole balloons over 1000 feet overnight threatening small Texas town

'We went to the backyard, and there were buildings falling in. It was like a movie,' said one resident

PUBLISHED APR 6, 2023

The sinkhole in Daisetta, Texas, grew over 150 feet in width and depth this week (ABC video screengrab)

DAISETTA, TEXAS: A gigantic sinkhole in southeastern Texas is growing again after being stable for around 15 years. Residents living near the sinkhole are understandbly afraid after it has ballooned to over 1000 feet across and 400 feet deep, overnight, on Sunday, April 2. They claim they have been hearing popping 'like a gunshot' coming from the ground.

The sinkhole first appeared in 2008 in the Liberty County town of Daisetta, around 55 miles northeast of Houston, starting as a 20-ft hole. Over the period it swallowed everything that was in its path, cars, oil tanks, and power lines, and caused extended road closures in the small town. Experts believe the sinkhole is caused by the erosion of a salt dome, a large underground deposit of salt, that the town was unfortunately (and unknowingly) built upon.

Woman falls into BOILING SINKHOLE as ground ‘opens up’ beneath her

'Residents of Daisetta relive their nightmare'

Residents woke up Monday morning and were horrified to see the sinkhole had grown about 150 feet in both width and depth. "We just never thought it would start again," said Linda Hoover, one of the sinkhole's "neighbors," told KTRK. "When we bought our house a few years ago, we were under the understanding that it was stabilized. My worst fear is for it to overtake us at night. So that's the reason we haven't really been able to sleep," she said. "We have packed our bags just in case and parked our cars kind of funny. So we can get out of here in a hurry if we need to," said Hoover.

Other neighbors claimed they could not sleep as they feared their houses could crumble overnight. "I was having a lot of trouble going to sleep last night because I didn't know if we were going to get swallowed up. My family told me it happened kind of fast before," said Jordana Priessler. Tim Priessler recalled the nightmare of the sinkhole expanding. "My neighbor came over and said he kept hearing popping sounds like a gunshot," he said. "We went to the backyard, and there were buildings falling in. It was like a movie. You can see cracks forming in the ground."

'It can crumble 20 feet overnight!'

Fire officials serving Daisetta claimed there is no solution to sinkholes as they were a force of nature. "Sinkholes are extremely unpredictable," said Liberty County Assistant Fire Marshal Erskin Holcomb. "It can take a week to move one foot, or it can crumble 20 feet overnight." However, despite the growing sinkhole, officials have not ordered an evacuation. "City officials immediately contacted the offices of the Liberty County Judge, the Liberty County Fire Marshal, and the Texas Division of Emergency Management, and notified residents in the immediate area of the situation," the city said in a statement. "City officials are closely monitoring the situation and will work with state and local authorities to provide updates to the community as the situation progresses."