Bad News: The Earth Is Swallowing Up Everyone And Everything. Okay, Maybe Not.. But This Is Crazy.

For some reason, in the last decade, sinkholes have been appearing in the headlines more and more frequently. It could be that news outlets are just faster at reporting news, but it’s possible that mining, fracking and other human operations have been weakening the ground below us. Cars, houses and roads are being swallowed by sinkholes at an alarming rate. You may think that you’ll never encounter one of these dangerous phenomena yourself, but experts estimate that thousands of sinkholes form every year in Florida alone. What about the rest of the United States? And the world?

An ariel view of a sinkhole is absolutely terrifying. It looks like a gateway to Hell. This giant sinkhole in Guatemala City on May 31, 2010.

Casa Presidencial / Handout / Reuters

This massive sinkhole formed in the middle of the Gran Marical de Ayacucho highway in Venezuela.

Miranda Government / Reuters

A truck was nearly swallowed hole in Xi’an, Shaanxi province, China.

Reuters / Stringer

A construction vehicle fell into a sinkhole on Saint-Catherine Street in downtown Montreal.

Christinne Muschi / Reuters

A woman named Pamela Knox had to be rescued from a sinkhole that swallowed her car in Toledo, Ohio in July 2013.

Lt. Matthew Hertzfeld / Toledo Fire and Rescue / Handout via Reuters

Most often, sinkholes form as a result of rainfall or flooding, where water seeps into the ground. Because of various chemical compositions, the ground will dissolve and form a network of cavities.

Reuters / China Daily

Far too often, a sinkhole forms when bystanders are completely unaware.

Reuters / China Daily

That results in people being trapped in these large, dangerous holes.

Reuters / China Daily

Reuters / China Daily

Many sinkholes, like this one, occur after a massive storm, typhoon or tidal wave. The excess water weakens the ground.

Punit Paranjpe / Reuters

A sinkhole in San Diego damaged an on-ramp and continued to grow.

Reuters

In the German village of Nachterstedt, houses were lost when a lake’s shoreline collapsed. Three residents were missing and an entire neighborhood was teetering on the edge of destruction.

Reuters / Gemeindeverwaltung Nachterstedt

Mining can destroy underground water systems, like it did in this paddy field in China.

Reuters / China Daily

This new Florida home almost experienced disaster. The family had to evacuate.

AP Photo / John Raoux

These disasters are almost impossible to predict or avoid for most people.

Reuters / Stringer

Rescue workers had to remove this bus with a crane from a Lisbon street hole.

Jose Manuel / Reuters

It’s terrifying how close to homes and workplaces these holes can open up.

Pawel Malecki / Reuters / Agencja Gazeta

I’m nearly convinced to never leave my home again.

Reuters / China Daily

Nowhere is safe.

Louafi Larbi / Reuters

This growing sinkhole in China has destroyed 20 houses so far and shows no signs of stopping.

Reuters / Stringer

Reuters / China Daily

Vincent West / Reuters

Fabio Serino / Reuters

The scariest part? Seeing how deep some of these holes go.

Reuters / Stringer

Scott Wheeler / Reuters

AP Photo / The Star Tribune, Brian Peterson

Kim Hairston / Baltimore Sun Photo

Barbara Haddock Taylor / Baltimore Sun Photo

The Summer Bay Resort on U.S. Highway 192 in Clermont, Florida, experienced tragedy when several of its buildings fell into a sinkhole in 2013. Guests had only 10 to 15 minutes to escape the collapsing buildings.

Red Huber / Orlando Sentinel / MCT

Algerina Perna / Baltimore Sun Photo

STR / AFP

STR / AFP

Reuters / China Daily

Jim Young / Reuters

Alicia Morrison / Reuters

Santiago Ferrero / Reuters

The most terrifying thing about these sinkholes is that they seem quite difficult to predict, once they begin forming you can’t really stop them… and they can happen anywhere.

Via Amusing Planet