The Great Smoky Mountain Journal
Tuesday, January 01, 2019 03:01 PM
Grainger County Sinkhole Exposes Water Lines In County Near Cherokee Lake
Grainger County Emergency Management Agency Director Jeff Atkins said the sinkhole first formed about nine years ago, and the county packed it in with "riff raff."
A water main break was reported to dispatchers Monday morning. Atkins responded and discovered that the sinkhole had opened back up. Residents told local news agencies that it looked like the "whole road fell in."
Authorities estimated the sinkhole to be 10 to 12 feet deep and about the size of a small, plastic swimming pool.
Officials with the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, Tennessee Department of Transportation, and a geologist were all called to the scene Tuesday.
According to the Grainger County EMA, there are at least 10 homes on Honey Creek Lane where people remain trapped from the sinkhole.
Atkins called the situation a "safety hazard" and added that emergency personnel like firefighters, ambulances, or police officers do not have access to the neighborhood without walking a distance.
A team of county commissioners worked Tuesday to figure out if Honey Creek Lane was a county or private road. Atkins said they determined it was a road belonging to the county.
The Grainger County Sheriff's Office has reportedly placed barriers around the sinkhole and asked people to avoid getting near it.
Crews are out working on the sinkhole again Wednesday. The Grainger County EMA said they hope to let residents re-enter and exit the road by Thursday.
