That Sinking Feeling

SPRING HILL, FL -- A sinkhole is swallowing their home and at times Jim and Joan Bates find that concept a bit hard to swallow. Joan was up most of the night thinking about it.

"That I couldn't come back here and live anymore, I couldn't come back," says Joan, her voice cracking.

In recent months, the Spring Hill couple had noticed some cracks in the house and had hired a company to fill in any fissures in the earth, but it was too late. On Wednesday afternoon the Bateses got a phone call. When they arrived back home their house had dropped and then their jaws did.

"It was a shocking sight," says Jim. "I came out of the car screaming 'Where's my dogs, where's my puppies,'" says Joan.

The three dogs were rescued and today Jim was also able to fetch a few more things from inside: his son's diplomas and some family photos. "If I can get some more I will," says Jim. But their insurance company intends to send in a restoration company to salvage what's left in the house.

The sight of the crumpled house brought out the curious with their cameras and neighbors can't help but worry 'is my place next?'

"It scares us all," says Pat Gentile, who lives two doors down. "All the neighbors are very much concerned."

The Bateses seem to be handling the stress pretty well. They're thankful no one was hurt. And at this point, they can even joke about the scary appearance of their house. "Yes, we have our own version of the Bates Motel," chuckles Jim.

So far the couple is giving their insurance company very high marks and if possible, they plan to rebuild on the very same lot.

"Yeah, you could find me back here," says Joan. "Check with me in about a year."

And that's a lot of love for a lot, that destroyed their home.

According to researchers at the University of Florida, "Sinkholes originate beneath the surface when groundwater moves through the limestone and erodes large voids, or cavities, in the bedrock. When water fills a cavity, it supports the walls and ceiling, but if the water table drops, the limestone cavity is exposed to further erosional processes that eventually result in the collapse of the cavity, causing a sinkhole."

Sinkholes can be found around the world, but because of Florida's unique subsurface structure of limestone, mineral deposits and flowing water underground, Florida has the highest amount of sinkholes in the U.S.