Giant Sinkhole Forms in New York State After Heavy Rains

Look out below! Some parts of New York state experienced record rainfalls this week, as severe storms affected the area. Officials say that a large sinkhole opened up due to excess rainfall, which washed away parts of a main road.

Witnesses told WHAM13 that the collapse left "two and a half to three feet of sediment just laying in the road,"

The recent incident follows a seemingly increasing amount of other sinkholes that have suddenly appeared on the state's roadways since late February. Previously, officials had reported that a large sinkhole opened up in the middle of a city street in Albany, due to a water main break in the area.

Another one was discovered in in early March on State Route 56. The hole was large enough that it took up an entire lane of Route 56 near where 56 intersects with Route 3, according to WWNY.

Giant Sinkhole Forms in New York State After Heavy Rains 

WHAM is reporting that a portion of Sackett Road in the town of Avon, in Livingston County, was washed away after collapsing into a giant sinkhole. Areas to the north in Rochester experienced record rainfall Wednesday, which set a new daily record for the date with 3.15 inches of rain, according to WROC.

This broke the old daily rainfall record set back in 1905.

What Causes Sinkholes & Are they Common in New York? 

Sinkholes were never too common across New York state until recent years, as more intense rainstorms and aging infrastructure have washed away softer rocks and other materials that can cause the earth to suddenly cave in.

See Also: Garage Floor Of New York State Family Home Collapses, Swallowing Two Cars

Another terrifying sinkhole encounter happened in late 2024, when a 64-year-old Pennsylvania woman, who was out looking for her cat, died when she fell into a sinkhole that opened around an area where she had parked her vehicle, according to AP News.

Some may associate sinkholes with places in the south like Florida, but they can happen anywhere. In fact, urban areas are notorious for "man-made" sinkholes, which are often caused by water main breaks, or when old, dilapidated pipes fall apart.