Massive sinkhole continues to loom large in Leominster after major flooding
Public works and utility crews are monitoring a massive sinkhole in Leominster that opened up during a flash flood emergency in central Massachusetts.
A sinkhole that is approximately 15 feet deep remains on Pleasant Street, near the intersection of Colburn Street.
There were concerns the water that washed out the ground underneath the roadway and a sidewalk, as well as a good chunk of the front yard at 208 Pleasant St., would threaten the foundation of that home. The couple who lives in that house were forced to leave Monday night.
Andre Obin said his parents, Arthur and Joanne, were warned by a neighbor barely had time to pull their car out of the driveway before their front yard collapsed.
"He let them know it was time to go and they got out just in time," Andre Obin said. "Basically, we're just lucky it didn't happen overnight while they were sleeping."
Area residents told NewsCenter 5 that the water that runs underneath that section of Pleasant Street is a culvert that runs down from the pond at Barrett Park, which is saturated from the heavy rain. The pond's dam has been stabilized after concerns arose that it could collapse.
People who live in the neighborhood said the water that runs under Pleasant Street can be heard during a heavy rain storm, but torrential rain that fell for four hours Monday night created a stunning amount of damage.
"Absolutely horrible. The road just completely collapsed and it just kept getting worse," said Leominster resident Nick Morrell.
"I've been here for six years, I've never seen anything like this. Not during the ice storm. Nothing, nothing like this, ever," said Leominster resident Sharon Testa. "This isn't a flood zone. I don't know what people are going to do, because I don't know if the insurance is going to cover it."
Andre Obin set up a GoFundMe page for his parents, as they are unsure if insurance will cover the damages to their house.
"We are assuming the house is going to be condemned," he said. "The fact that they're safe and we have a chance to move on, that's all that matters."
Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella said city officials should have a better idea of how long it will take to repair the sinkhole later Tuesday evening, but he estimated it would take about a week to reopen Pleasant Street to traffic.
There are gas mains in the sinkhole that are exposed. National Grid crews will look to shore up the gas mains before Department of Public Works crews will be able to start repairing the roadway.
