Staff Reports
A massive sinkhole opened at the edge of an apartment building in Orange County, swallowing air conditioning units and bushes and a concrete slab. The sinkhole destabilized the building so seriously that firefighters evacuated dozens of residents amid the hurricane’s winds and pouring rain.
The Associated Press reports that Ronnie Ufie heard a loud bang and her 6-year-old grandson saw sparks shoot up behind the building, then their power flickered out.
The fire alarm started screaming.
Ernest Almonor, who lives next door to Ufie, ran outside but saw no fire and went back inside.
But firefighters arrived and told them they had to leave the building. Ufie, who cares for her two young grandsons, grabbed some coloring books and crayons and headed through the rain to a neighbor’s house.
But most residents, around 25 people, ended up scrambling through the storm to hunker for the night in the complex’s clubhouse.
