Parts of Tennessee prone to sinkholes

photo In June, 2012, a large sinkhole opened up near Pikeville, TN.

It's no secret: the Tennessee Valley isn't immune from sinkholes. Geologists warn parts of Tennessee are indeed prone to sinkholes. We found several instances of the ground opening up in our own backyard.

Amy Brock-Hon teaches Geology at UTC and shared a map of sinkholes in Hamilton County. The map is 40 years old but our area's Geology is mostly the same. The map has large purple dots where sinkhole features have been documented.

Generally speaking, Brock-Hon said sinkholes happen to form away from our most urban areas. But in just the past year alone, we found at least three sinkholes in populated areas in Hamilton County.

Read more from our news partners at WRCB.

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