Second sinkhole emerges in Tampa, near site of deadly accident (VIDEO)
Police tape surrounds the house of Jeff Bush, who was consumed by a sinkhole while lying in his bed last night, March 1, 2013 in Seffner, Florida. First responders were not able to reach Bush after he disappeared and now say it is a recovery mission.
Another sinkhole has emerged in Tampa, Florida, only days after a huge sinkhole swallowed up Jeff Bush on Feb. 28, heralding the beginning of Florida's notorious "sinkhole season."
Spring is known as sinkhole season in west central Florida, which has a particularly porous karst, or limestone, geology that's prone to creating the unexpected — and worrying — depressions.
According to Fox 18, the 12-foot-wide second sinkhole emerged between two houses in the Seffner neighborhood, and has yet to cause any structural damage or harm to the neighbors.
Read more from GlobalPost: Demolition starts on Florida home where sinkhole swallowed man
Local officials are investigating the new sinkhole to determine what is to be done about it, wrote Tampa Bay Online, noting that the hole is about 10 feet deep.
"Oh God, it's scary, you never know what could happen," said Katia Varga, who lives two doors down from the new sinkhole, to Fox.
"See it happened to that man? It happened to our neighbor; it could happen to anyone. You got to watch out and be safe."
The deadly sinkhole that killed Jeff Bush was finally exposed to public view on March 4, after the house that stood there was entirely demolished. The demolition revealed a massive gash in the ground that now measures 30 feet across and between 30 and 100 feet deep, according to Sky News.
"Sinkholes occur when rainwater dissolves limestone bedrock," said GlobalPost's senior editor David Case, who has a degree in geology. "It's the same geology that's responsible for Florida's widespread underground caves."
The USGS notes that Florida sinkholes can be brought on by increasing use of groundwater in development, and can also contaminate clean underground aquifers with surface water. The USGS notes that certain construction practices can also bring on a sinkhole, as well.
Watch news coverage of this season's sinkhole saga in Florida:
Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you. We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
Make a gift today, and you’ll help us unlock a matching gift of $67,000!