A video of a sinkhole swallowing a tree in Louisiana has gone viral. Residents of the entire Louisiana town were forced to evacuate as the sinkhole continues to expand and eat up large chunks of land.
The video shows the sinkhole opening up and dragging the tree down from underneath. It quickly gets eaten up by the sinkhole and succumbs to the churning waters. Officials say the sinkhole is still active and it continues to grow.
The sinkhole actually emerged around a swampland in Assumption Parish last year. However, it has been expanding since and spread to 24 acres, swallowing everything in its path.
So far, 350 residents have reportedly evacuated the area as their homes become compromised from the sinkhole.
"The sinkhole continues to be active and grow," said OEP Director John Boudreaux.
The sinkhole is currently being monitored by authorities. The status of the sinkhole has been heightened to code 3. According to a definition provided by Assumption Parish, Code 3 means: "Restricts all work inside the containment berm, indicates seismic activity has elevated to a point similar to what has been seen in past monitoring prior to a sloughing on the shore or movement beneath sinkhole (More than 50 MEQs or VLPs in 24 hours).
It is not known how the sinkhole initially appeared, but some speculate that it was created from the petrochemical company Texas Brine. The company reportedly attempted to build a salt cavern in Assumption Parish and their work is rumored to have contributed to the sinkhole appearing.
See the video of the Bayou Corne sinkhole posted by the Assumption Parish Office of Emergency Preparedness blog:
