Assumption Parish Sinkhole Gets Bigger

The sinkhole in northern Assumption Parish, La., continues to grow.

John Boudreaux, director of the Assumption Parish Office of Homeland Security, tells The Advocate roughly 5,000 square feet of land sloughed off into the sinkhole Tuesday morning, and that by the afternoon, the land-loss had grown to an estimated 7,500 square feet.

Boudreaux said he hadn’t measured the sinkhole, but it possibly could cover as many as 9 acres after the 75-foot-by-100-foot parcel of land crumbled and fell into the slurry hole on Tuesday.

The sinkhole was discovered south of La. 70 on Aug. 3, causing more than 150 residences in the area to be evacuated.

Scientists have said the sinkhole formed following the failure of an underground cavern in the Napoleonville Dome owned by Texas Brine Co. LLC.