Community Corner

Homeowner Waiting to Hear What Caused Sinkhole Scare

Ozona resident Elsie Hall, 88, and her caretaker still do not know what caused Hall's home to shake and the floor to buckle Tuesday morning, prompting a sinkhole scare that attracted news crews from as far away as Miami.

The TV news trucks and helicopters that swarmed Harbor Drive on Tuesday morning are gone, and life on this quiet Ozona street is back to normal, almost.

Eighty-eight-year-old resident Elsie Hall and her caretaker still do not know what caused Hall's home to shake and the floor to buckle Tuesday morning, prompting a sinkhole scare that attracted news crews from as far away as Miami. 

Upholstered chairs have been placed over the concrete where the floor tiles popped up in Hall's living room. Some buckled tiles on the floor remain. A crack runs along the ceiling in a hall. Another crack extends along a wall in the hall ending in the corner of the kitchen doorway.

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Hall's caretaker, Deborah Wiksten said an engineer will use a probe to examine underneath the home to see what may have caused the damage.

Hall, who relies on a walker to get around, sat in a living room chair Wednesday afternoon sipping tea and holding her dog, Penny, on her lap. She was in her bedroom Tuesday morning when her caretaker felt the home shake.

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"I didn't hear anything," said Hall in a British accent.

"I didn't know there was anything wrong with the floor. All I know is these men came and took us from the bedroom." 

Hall and Wiksten stayed out of the home for a few hours Tuesday while the home was assessed. Initial testing completed Tuesday found there were no problems underneath the house, according to Palm Harbor Fire Rescue District Chief Dan Zinge. The incident prompted the evacuation of a few nearby homes as a precaution and a subsequent invasion of news crews. 

Wiksten, who has cared for Hall for seven years and treats her like a member of her own family, says the ordeal has been stressful. In addition to having to be evacuated from the home Tuesday and dealing with all of the news crews, Wiksten spent Wednesday dealing with insurance representatives and other matters. She's also worried about how the incident might impact Hall's health.

Hall, who turns 89 this month, appeared to just be happy to be back in her home with her dog.

Related-

  • Does Your Insurance Cover Sinkholes?
  • Sinkholes in Palm Harbor? Here's What You Need to Know

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