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Sinkholes aren’t impacted much by temperature, but they are more likely during precipitation extremes.
Sinkholes aren’t impacted much by temperature, but they are more likely during precipitation extremes.“The first thing that comes to mind — business is gonna be bad,” said Ramirez, the owner of G&J Auto Care.
A large sinkhole ruptured the asphalt in North Philly, in the middle of Sixth Street between Rising Sun and Erie Avenues, on Dec. 29 about 1 p.m. Repairs remain in progress. Surveillance video acquired by Fox29 showed a SEPTA bus driving over a dip in the middle of Sixth Street, which deepened after it thudded past. Over the next few minutes the road began to collapse, though the growing pit did not stop some pedestrians from creeping close to it, including one person who walked back and forth on top. Ramirez said that his business has already taken a hit because the road has been closed for repairs. The situation is particularly frustrating because the Philadelphia Water Department hasn’t given him a timeline for completion. The water department has determined that the sinkhole was caused by a nearby water main break, according to spokesperson Brian Rademaekers. A day before the collapse, a resident of Sixth Street reported a leak in the street. Since the collapse, the water department has repaired the main and restored water to nearby residents, but does not yet have an estimated completion date for the street and sewer repair. Two passengers on the bus that was captured in the surveillance video suffered minor injuries and were transported to Temple University Hospital for treatment, according to SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch. The bus was removed from service for minor repairs. Busch said that sinkholes are not typically something that SEPTA operators are trained to account for, but that the driver handled the situation properly.What is a sinkhole, anyway? Does the weather play a factor? If it feels as if Philly streets deteriorate whenever the temperature drops, you’d be on to something. Potholes, the less-disruptive but still-annoying cousin of the sinkhole, are more likely to open up under colder temperatures. Sinkholes are not affected much by temperature, but they are more likely during precipitation extremes, which the Philadelphia area just experienced via theis an opening in the ground caused when water dissolves rock. As rain or groundwater collects without effective drainage, it breaks down bedrock underneath the surface, leaving a void that eventually leads to a collapse. Sinkholes can occur naturally with groundwater changes and extreme changes in rain and snow. They can also be accelerated by man-made factors, like a water main break. “There can be several causes of sinkholes or cave-ins in urban areas. One includes leaking water infrastructure, both customer-owned and city-owned, that can slowly wash soil away, causing voids under pavement that could ultimately collapse,” Rademaekers said.. These smaller tire traps are caused by breakdowns of the road surface, not the earth. They occur more often in the winter because of damage to the road from freezing and thawing.Rademaekers said there are some warning signs for sinkholes that people can look out for, like depressions in the street that change over time, or sounds of running water at the curb that could indicate underground leaks. Those early indicators can be reported to the water department’s emergency line by calling 215-686-6300.
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