Christmas Eve is meant to be one of the most magical times of the year. Family gathers, stories are told and everything feels safe and warm.
Now, imagine that comfort being replaced by the roaring sound of the earth beneath you swallowing your neighborhood whole. That’s just what happened to this Michigan neighborhood.
A massive sinkhole recently ripped its way through a quiet neighborhood in Fraser, Michigan. The sinkhole is believed to have been caused by a ruptured sewer pipe more than 55 feet below ground. Though officials now have the situation under control, the nightmarish scenario still seems like something out of a disaster movie.
All across the neighborhood, surreal scenes of devastation unfolded on the evening of December 24. Prior to the sinkhole appearing, strange noises were noticed by families across the neighborhood. These noises turned out to be the sound of splintering brick and snapping beams. The horror began in a single home, where wide cracks suddenly appeared the floors. After that family fled from their house, the cracks began to snake their way across the neighborhood.
The map above pinpoints the sinkhole’s location. Soon after the first cracks appeared, families were forced to abandon their homes and escape into the freezing night air. Residents ran out into the streets with their Christmas gifts in their arms, some woken from sleep. Twenty-two homes were evacuated due to the ever-widening tears in the earth.
Fortunately, there have been no reported injuries or deaths. However, the hole was still growing for days after the incident, prompting many residents to fear that their property would be claimed by the pit. One home is actually halfway down the sinkhole already. As of January 4, two additional homes were deemed uninhabitable, though that decision may be reversed pending further investigation of their foundations. During the crisis, residents raced to rescue valuables and treasures from their crumbling homes before the fire department eventually forbid entrance to the condemned abodes.
Now, authorities are working on creating an alternate path for people to access the 20 remaining evacuated homes near the sinkhole. For days after the event, officials scrambled to pump sewage away from the neighborhood and into a nearby river. The alternative was to flood residents’ basements with human waste and sludge, effectively condemning even the homes that have not been overtaken by the sinkhole. Utilities have been restored to most of the evacuated homes, though residents are being asked to limit their water use in the next month so as not to put too much strain on the temporarily patched-up sewer pipe.
The sinkhole currently runs along 15 Mile Road, which divides Fraser and Clinton Township. The catastrophe is expected to shut down 15 Mile Road for several months. This is unwelcome news to the 100,000 residents who rely on the road.
What’s next for this community? Bypass pumps are in the process of being installed, though they won’t be fully operational for another month. The families that have been evacuated may be allowed to return to their home by January 9. For now, officials are still assessing structural damage and future solutions.
Watch ABC News’ incredible footage of this terrifying sinkhole below:
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