Sinkhole Tips   3-13-13

Like many Florida residents, I followed the news about the sinkhole very closely. The sinkhole I am referring to involves the incident in which a man was swallowed---bed and all---while asleep in his room. You could not have missed this item...it was on every news channel, both local and national. The other residents of the house escaped. I know what you are thinking, but it all happened so quickly. By the time it was on the news, there was simply neither the time nor opportunity to toss my ex wife into the home, especially in view of the fact that she lives in another state. My second concern was the proximity of this sinkhole to Sarasota. It turns out that this sinkhole is about an hour's drive from Sarasota...two hours if one drives like my dad. I was further reassured when several knowledgable clients told me at separate times during the week that the ground beneath Sarasota does not have the necessary composition for sinkholes. Nevertheless, I was all ears when a "sinkhole expert" on one of the news channels shared some valuable information. For those of us who continue to have concerns about being swallowed by the earth unexpectedly, he claimed that there are indeed some warning signs. He stated if doors, either interior or exterior, begin to close improperly, the windows start to do the same, and there are any new cracks in the walls: "LEAVE THE HOUSE immediately." Now, aren't you glad you clicked on this update page today? I may have just saved your life...we just don't know it yet.