Winter Park Florida Sinkhole (1981 / 2008)

Winter Park, Florida is a city just East of Orlando. Back in 1981, it gained national attention when a huge sinkhole formed within the city limits. A home and several expensive automobiles were swallowed up as the hole filled with water. During a period of record-low water levels in Florida's limestone aquifer, a massive sinkhole opened up near the corner of Denning Drive and Fairbanks Avenue. In a single day the hole widened to 320 feet (98 m) and to a depth of 90 feet (27 m), destroying an import car dealership, a public pool, and large portions of Denning Drive. In addition, the sinkhole "ate" an entire two-story home. The deepest part of the limestone cavern must have been directly under the house as not even the peak of the roof of the house could be seen after the sinkhole stabilized. Fortunately, no one was in the house at the time the cavern roof collapsed. City engineers managed to stabilize the sinkhole, which drew national attention and became a popular tourist attraction during the summer of 1981. A carnival-like atmosphere arose around the area, with vendors selling food, balloons, and t-shirts to visitors. Eventually the novelty wore off as the city repaired the damage and turned the sinkhole into a man-made lake. Winter Park sinkhole's notoriety is still unmatched.
I recently found a Betamax tape containing footage of the sinkhole as it formed in 1981. With so many years that have passed since the event, I decided to go back today and see what the famous Winter Park Sinkhole looks like.
Taped: May 1, 1981 / Sept 15, 2008

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Avenue
• Betamax
• Decker
• Denning
• Fairbanks
• FL
• Florida
• Kerry
• limestone
• Orlando
• Park
• sand
• Sinkhole
• water
• Winter

[jeepers2655]

Happy sinkhole di mayo......LOL

[HigherWaysWoman]

Very Well Done!!! Quite a treasure having "original" footage of it occuring...priceless! It's amazing that out of tragedy something beautiful can take its place. Bless the people hearts who lost their homes n property to this devestation & the guy whose collection of vehicles were taken...AGONIZING!! Good choice in accompanying music...fit the tranquility of the place quite nicely. Thank you for sharing your vintage & updated video...enjoyed watching it very much.

[jamiewallaceable]

What happened to the sports cars?

[DogFoodDetective]

Well done! You are a good reporter. That is scary. To think there used to be houses there and they just suddenly sink. So scary. Did anyone get hurt or die? Are those expensive cars still in the hole under the water??

[THEPIANOMONSTUH]

Fantastic Video. Thanks for posting it KKD-1247. Is that a Class "D" Citizens Radio call sign? Just curious...

_Jerry, WA2ZOA

[claatu]

In Italy the hole would have been used as illegal nuclear dump waste from Germany held by Camorra (naples' mafia / aka local right wing and left wing politicians), plus a mozzarella farm right nearby or on top of it.

[archona54]

Thanks for sharing. Great vid and good seeing this again after so many years...

[GenSeg1]

any comments that this is fake?!.. of course this is sooooo real.. thanks for sharing this great history. One of a kind video..

[MSJewelryAU]

I lived @ 2021 Taylor Ave Winter Park in 1981.The sinkhole was a big deal.I had been to the pool 3 days earlier & my father owned a town home 3 blocks from it.I moved away in 1982, & have never been back, yet.One day i would like to visit.Fairbanks ,Ave.Park Ave. & Aloma Ave. are the busiest streets in Winter Park.

[entengle]

At 2:45, one of the greatest COMB-OVERs in the world. Bigger than the sinkhole!

[ArcticRalph]

@cjhdancer1

Ah yes very nice vid indeed, wow can't believe those people paid a few thousand to get that old camper out and get it beat up while doing it.

My father is an enthusiastic diver aswell who dives in the North Sea (Europe). Once in a while he discovers old German/British fighter planes or visits a 17th century Dutch trading vessel. They never recover such things either, I guess when its been there a while people just leave them there.