A sinkhole that opened up in Pasco County is still making headlines in Florida a few days later. It’s worth a reminder one of the many lakes in the Orlando-area began as a famous sinkhole.
In May 1981, a giant crater opened up in Winter Park at the intersection of Fairbanks Ave and Denning Dr. It eventually grew to a width of 350 ft and a depth of 75 ft, making it "the largest sinkhole event witnessed by man as a result of natural geological reasons or conditions," according to geologist Jim Jammal, then Florida's foremost expert on sinkholes according to The Guardian.
Lake Rose is at the intersection of Fairbanks and Denning in Winter Park, FL. It originally formed in 1981 as a sinkhole. @news965wdbo pic.twitter.com/C0TJNQAfml
— Gene Wexler (@GeneWexler) July 17, 2017
The sinkhole destroyed a car dealership and five Porsches, parts of two streets, an Olympic-dized swimming pool, and one three-bedroom house belonging to Mae Rose Owens.
TV crews came from across the nation to film the sinkhole, which became a short-lived tourist attraction according to The Guardian. People even sold "Sinkhole '81" T-shirts.
Once the sinkhole stabilized it became a giant pond. In 2005 it was named Lake Rose in honor of Owens who passed away.
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