MERIDEN - A sinkhole has become a huge headache for a neighborhood in Meriden.
The gigantic sinkhole in the backyard of 170 Liberty St. continues to grow closer and closer to the foundation of the home. It’s hard to fully grasp its size just by looking at it.
“That was like an explosion. Like a bomb,” said Ana Rosado.
Rosado was in the home Easter Sunday when she heard what sounded like a car crash outside. She was shocked to see a tree had crashed into her house. But it hadn’t fallen, rather it was sucked into the ground.
“From that point forward, it’s been an ongoing situation,” said homeowner David Dockside. “Quite frankly it’s concerning.”
Dockside said the sinkhole grows every day. It now measures over 15 feet wide and close to 20 feet deep.
He said the sinkhole was caused by damage to an old culvert that was meant to drain water down the hill. Since then, running water has sucked more and more ground away.
“Every time it rains it becomes a bit more big,” said Rosado.
The City of Meriden has come out three times to fill the hole with soil and rock, but nothing has worked.
“Every time they fill in the hole, within a week to a week and a half time the hole is empty,” said Dockside. “I don’t know where it stops. And there is nothing to prevent it from stopping. That’s the biggest concern.”
Dockside is also concerned for the 10 people including the five children who live in the home.
“I love every one of them and I don’t want to see one of them get hurt,” said Dockside. “Quite frequently, a little one goes in that hole we got trouble.”
Dockside says things are currently at a standstill with the town. He hopes that whatever the fix is it’s done right so no one else in the neighborhood has to go through what they have.
FOX61 Reached out to the Meriden Department of Public Works but they were unavailable to comment.