In May, 2008 a large sinkhole gobbled up half of this home in Spring Hill, Florida, displacing a couple and their three dogs, according to WFTS Action News in Tampa, FL. Fortunately, the couple was not home at the time of the incident, but the dogs were; they have since been rescued.(PRNewsChannel) / November 04, 2009 / Tampa, Fla. /
With sinkhole coverage set to disappear from certain Florida homeowner policies in January, Florida property insurance lawyer Ted Corless says it's not too late to renew this vital type of insurance.
“Sinkholes are to Florida what forest fires are to southern California,” says Corless, a sinkhole expert who has most recently been tracking Ocala sinkhole damage.
"Damage from sinkholes in Ocala is nothing new, and certainly not the worst place for this," adds Corless. "But it's an area of Florida that's particularly vulnerable to what has created a disastrous situation for families."
Sinkhole damage is largely created by the acidity of Florida rainwater, which erodes the underground limestone. In September, a sinkhole in Pasco County swallowed a driveway and was measured 80 feet deep by 40 feet wide.
Property insurance lawyers recommend annually using a video camera to track the progress of any cracks throughout a home, and requesting sinkhole protection when renewing insurance coverage. Sinkhole coverage will no longer exist for Pasco and Hernando County homeowners effective in January, unless homeowners specifically renew it.
