Karst Topography is the Cause of Florida Sinkholes
Julie Patel, of the Sun-Sentinel, does a fantastic job reporting on insurance issues. Her latest piece on sinkholes, Sinkhole Claims Push up Insurance Premiums in Florida, suggests that the root cause of the problem is the geology underneath Florida structures. She reported:
There may be another factor for the rise in sinkhole claims, according to a Sun-Sentinel analysis of claims and interviews with geologists. The ground in Florida has shifted more quickly in the past few decades as development accommodated the state's growing population. That has triggered damage in homes across the state.
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"You moved people into an area, change it drastically … and you will increase the whole occurrence [of sinkholes]. We've shown that," said Ann Tihansky, a physical scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey.
Geologists have warned for decades that Florida's development, and pumping groundwater in particular, accelerates the development of sinkholes.
One shining example: When strawberry farmers in Plant City pumped groundwater to save their crops from cold temperatures in early 2010, they triggered dozens of sinkholes.
The growth in the number of sinkholes can't just be blamed on phony claims, said Bill Sinclair, a retired geologist who researched Florida sinkholes for the Geological Survey. "The impact of the population growth has a lot to do with that. There's more well pumping, more unbalance in the system," he said.
As Corey Harris and I were flying back to Tampa on Monday from a hearing in Ft. Myers, I pointed out to him all the obvious sinkholes on farms, ranches and undeveloped lands. They could easily be seen from the air. I remember throwing trash and burning debris on a couple of large sinkholes on my grandfather's ranch in Brandon, Florida, when I was a child. That ranch now has a housing community on it. Everybody knows that similar lands have been developed throughout Florida.
It is amazing how little discussion there has been regarding the underlying reason for Florida’s many sinkhole claims. The primary reason is that Florida geology has extreme karst topography.
I have been following this blog now for a bit and I have to say that it is wonderful! It is a great source of information. As one who has made the insurability of the hurricane risk the focus of her dissertation, I have found this blog invaluable. Today, I am compelled to comment on a detail that is minor but by no means trivial.
I am concerned with the title and the final sentence, "It is amazing how little discussion there has been regarding the underlying reason for Florida's many sinkhole claims. The primary reason is that Florida geology has extreme karst topography." Julie Patel's article did not attribute cause to the geology per se but to the development upon the geology or rather society's interaction with the geology (e.g. pumping water). The differentiation is important if one is interested in addressing the sinkhole "problem." For instance, if the problem is development then solutions may address the way or extent to which society develops. If the problem is the geology one may seek change insurance premiums because the risk has changed or arguably, been further revealed.
This is a very deep seeded problem in the hurricane and insurance situation. It is called problem framing. Generally, the hurricane risk is being defined as changed or changing with attribution given to climate change. These has been the general trend with most meteorological events that negatively impact society. However, research on the economic losses that are produced from such events suggest that the root cause of increased losses is development (i.e more people, more stuff, more places). Climate change is an important social issue, but not because of disaster losses. The problem has also arisen in discussions of sea level rise (amongst many other issues). While global sea level may indeed be rising, in many places such as low lying Florida, the land is also sinking due to a lowering of the watertable and other development interferences (also a sinkhole or more appropriately, land subsidence, issue). Communities will do better solving their "sea level rise problem" by more directly addressing their water extraction and generally, development. Likewise, the hurricane problem is also better addressed through changes in development practices instead of manipulating risk calculations.
The insurance industry tends to favor the framing that the hazard risk is changing- in the long run it creates many business opportunities and higher premiums (as Floridians are well aware). But as Patel insightfully explains, the hazard risk has not changed- society did. In our complex global society, risk is a commodity to be bought, sold, traded, and insured against. But, you have to believe in it in order to be willing to buy coverage for it. It is really quite fascinating.
Best regards and kudos to such an enriching blog,
Jessica Weinkle
PhD Candidate
University of Colorado Boulder
...and Miami Beach native :)
I also thought Julie's article was well written. The last thing insurance carriers and their lobbyists want to hear is the truth about Florida's karst topography. I am sure that once they have been successful in legislating away any meaningful sinkhole coverage (just as they did with mold coverage and windstorm mitigation discounts) they will find something else to justify their premium increases while reducing coverage.
Jessica,
Thank you.
And, you are correct. Development within Florida is the major driver of the hurricane risk and the sinkhole risk.
I look forward to reading what your research finds and I invite you to send a guest post anytime.
Good luck.