Sinkhole that swallowed Seffner man reopens for 3rd time in 10 years

The sinkhole in Seffner that killed a man in 2013 has reopened for the third time in 10 years.

Hillsborough County officials and a remediation contractor surveyed the site on Faithway Drive Tuesday. This week, workers will begin filling the hole with gravel and water — the same method used in 2015, according to Jon-Paul Lavandeira, division director of Hillsborough County Code Enforcement.

Lavandeira said the reopening is “eerily similar” to the one in 2015. It has opened to roughly the same size, about 19 feet deep, 19 feet wide north to south and 16 feet wide east to west.

Nearby properties are safe, Lavandeira said, because the method used to fill the hole ensures that if it opens again, it happens in the same spot and doesn’t threaten other homes. The sinkhole is fenced off from the surrounding area.

“If it does occur again, we know exactly what’s going to happen, and we already have a plan of attack on handling it,” Lavandeira said.