A sinkhole in the 1900 block of Biltmore Street, Northwest, as it appeared at 1:45 PM on Tuesday. Photograph by Carol Ross Joynt.
When the Metropolitan Police Department put out an alert Tuesday for a sinkhole in
Northwest that was “25 feet deep” we instantly thought of the Florida sinkhole of
11 days ago that swallowed and killed a man. We immediately headed over to the reported
location, the 1900 block of Biltmore Street, Northwest.
Well, there are sinkholes and then there are sinkholes. Not to discount the concerns
of area residents, but the MPD may have overplayed the scope of the Biltmore Street
sinkhole, which appeared to be beneath an asphalt-covered section of the sidewalk.
When asked about its depth, a DC Water employee peered into the taped-off hole and
replied, “Five to six feet.”
Sinkholes are not uncommon in DC, and some can grow to a scary size. They can be the
result of earlier construction that wasn’t properly filled in or loamy earth that
sits beneath a city that once was partially swampland.
Hopefully the current size of the Biltmore street sinkhole is as wide and deep as
it will get.
MPD Posts Alert for Biltmore Street Sinkhole
But not all sinkholes are the same.
When the Metropolitan Police Department put out an alert Tuesday for a sinkhole in
Northwest that was “25 feet deep” we instantly thought of the Florida sinkhole of
11 days ago that swallowed and killed a man. We immediately headed over to the reported
location, the 1900 block of Biltmore Street, Northwest.
Well, there are sinkholes and then there are sinkholes. Not to discount the concerns
of area residents, but the MPD may have overplayed the scope of the Biltmore Street
sinkhole, which appeared to be beneath an asphalt-covered section of the sidewalk.
When asked about its depth, a DC Water employee peered into the taped-off hole and
replied, “Five to six feet.”
Sinkholes are not uncommon in DC, and some can grow to a scary size. They can be the
result of earlier construction that wasn’t properly filled in or loamy earth that
sits beneath a city that once was partially swampland.
Hopefully the current size of the Biltmore street sinkhole is as wide and deep as
it will get.
Most Popular in News & Politics
What It Felt Like for a Virginia Marching Band to Win Metallica’s Contest
What’s IN and OUT in DC Restaurant Trends for 2024
Introducing 8 of DC’s Most Stylish
Best of Washington 2023: Things to Eat, Drink, Do, and Know Right Now
Washingtonian Magazine
May 2024: Great Getaways
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
13 Major Concerts and Music Festivals in the DC Area This Spring
Mary Timony on Her Emotional New Album, “Untame the Tiger”
The Beatles in DC: A New Exhibit in Maryland Looks Back on Early Beatlemania
Northern Virginia High School Wins Metallica’s Marching Band Competition
More from News & Politics
Are Friends More Important Than Romantic Partners?
The Local Girls Who Inspired the Hollywood Classic “Mean Girls”
These Volunteers Wake Up at Dawn to Collect DC’s Dead—and Injured—Birds
Guest List: 5 People We’d Love to Hang Out With This May
Democrats and Republicans Pass Balls, Not Bills, at Congressional Soccer Game
3 New Memoirs by Prominent Women
Everything You Wanted to Know About Urban Bear Sightings but Were Afraid to Ask, Because Who Wants to Get That Close to a Bear?
Rockville Police Are Searching for Culprits of a $4,500 Pickleball Paddle Heist