On February 19th of this year, two huge sinkholes opened up in the English town of Surrey forcing 30 families to evacuate. The 2 holes that opened up were on opposite sides of the road, with one being 16 feet deep and having a width of 65 feet and the other being 16 feet wide and 16 feet deep. The exact cause of the sinkholes are unknown however, there are many theories by geologists that have emerged.

Surrey is an area built on sandstones that formed more than 100 millions years ago which led to the ground becoming weak and eroding over time due to the use of running water. With the current environmental uncertainties, it was likely that an influx of rainfall caused the ground to weaken. Another theory hypothesizes that the sandstone bedrock collapsed due to the bursting of a pipe. Luckily nobody was harmed during the formation of this sinkhole, but houses of many are still very much at risk, requiring many to stay elsewhere for the foreseeable future. In addition to not being able to live in their homes, some residents' cars are located at the very edge of the smaller sinkhole leaving them unable to move their car. Currently, the city is looking into ways to fill the hole but unfortunately it is currently too unsafe for any action to be taken.

Filling the hole won’t be a speedy task, and will likely take months, so residents have returned home only to collect essentials.

Though this is true for many, some families are refusing to leave their houses, as is the case with resident Bren Davis and his family. Even with the lack of water in the area, Mr. Davis decided to stay due to him living his whole life in that house. Confident in the house's ability to stay put and the escape plan he has created, he will not be evacuating anytime soon. Local farms have also been affected due to the lack of water and Nicola Henderson, Godstone Farm’s chief executive, worries about the effect it will have on the animals.

Sinkholes are not a rare sighting, but they are, however, rare in places like Surrey, England. It is more common to see sinkholes in national parks, parts of Florida and rural places in Britain where there is limestone that is susceptible to dissolution but typically never in small towns like Surrey. It is unlikely for a similar hole to open up again because it is generally illegal for houses to be built on abandoned mines in the U.K.