Texas Residents Fearful as Massive Sinkhole Swallows Structures in Small Town

Drone image of the 2008 (left) and 2023 sinkholes in Daisetta, Texas, on April 8, 2023. Courtesy Bureau of Economic Geology

Researchers are monitoring a large sinkhole that appeared earlier this month in the small town of Daisetta, Texas.

On April 2, the ground on the northwestern flank of the Hull salt dome began cracking and disappearing into a sinkhole. It is not the first time this town of about a thousand residents has experienced a sinkhole.

“My worst fear is for it to overtake us at night. So that’s the reason we haven’t really been able to sleep,” resident Linda Hoover told KTRK News shortly after the sinkhole formed. “We have packed our bags just in case … so we can get out of here in a hurry if we need to.”

In 2008, a sinkhole formed rapidly, engulfing structures and trees over a period of a couple of days. The new sinkhole is situated on the southwest side of the larger sinkhole.

Daisetta sits atop a low hill of the underlying Hull salt dome in Liberty County, about halfway between the cities of Houston and Beaumont.

Researchers Collect Data

Salt domes are relatively common along the Texas-Louisiana Coastal Plain, according to a report from researchers at the Bureau of Economic Geology at the University of Texas at Austin.

On April 8, the research team, led by research scientist Jeffrey Paine, visited the new sinkhole to acquire post-collapse data, including measurements and water depth of the sinkhole, which will be used to monitor the site and provide critical information for emergency responders.

The maximum water depth of the 2023 sinkhole is approximately 30 feet deep, the report showed.

In comparison, the 2008 sinkhole water has a depth of about 75 feet, similar to the depth reported shortly after it collapsed.

Currently, the sinkhole water levels are equal.

The 2023 “nearly circular sinkhole” has a diameter of about 230 feet. It is surrounded by scarps, fissures, and cracks, similar to the older sinkhole.

“Near-term growth of the sinkhole to the edge of the currently fissured halo and perhaps beyond is possible, but the collapsed area could also not expand much beyond its current extent (similar to the limited growth of the larger 2008 sinkhole),” the researcher wrote in their preliminary findings.

A spokesperson from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) told The Epoch Times in an email that the agency is working to identify the possible chemicals and pollutants recovered from the sinkhole.

“The TCEQ, Liberty County Office of Emergency Management, Texas Division of Emergency Management, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has reviewed the site and are addressing the observed materials throughout the area,” TCEQ said.

“The TCEQ and USEPA have collected and secured multiple tanks, totes, drums, and containers from the site. The contents for these containers were sampled on April 6-7, 2023. The analytical sample results will be reviewed, and a hazardous waste determination will be conducted in accordance with state and federal rules and regulations. Once the waste is classified, the waste will be properly disposed [of] at a TCEQ-authorized facility.”

More About Salt Domes

The National Strategic Petroleum Reserve uses salt domes to create salt caverns for storing the nation’s crude oil reserves for emergencies.

Salt caverns are formed by drilling a well into the formation and pumping water through it to dissolve the salt, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. The salt returns to the surface as salt brine which is pumped out to form a cavern, allowing crude oil and petroleum substances to be stored.

Typically, these formations are geologically stable.

There are four major oil storage facilities along the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast region, according to the U.S. Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response.

Two sites are in Texas—Bryan Mound and Big Hill, and two are in Louisiana—West Hackberry and Bayou Choctaw.

These caverns can store from 6 to 37 million barrels of petroleum with a typical capacity of 10 million barrels, according to the government agency.