Massive void emerges on Oregon coast when two sprawling sinkholes merge, photos show
A massive void formed along an Oregon coastline after two sinkholes merged, photos show.
Now park officials are warning beachgoers to keep their distance.
The sinkholes combined at the Cape Kiwanda State Natural Area near Pacific City, the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department said in a statement to McClatchy News on June 21.
The first sinkhole formed in January on the “lower northwest corner of the dune,” officials said. It was 25 feet wide and 15 feet deep, officials said.
Then another sinkhole appeared inches away from the first one on May 8. It measured 10 feet wide and 30 feet deep.
The two sinkholes then merged over the course of several weeks, officials said.
However, strong winds have caused sand to cover the massive void, and now the surface appears “more stable than it actually is,” officials said.
The sand has also made it difficult for officials to determine how large the merged sinkhole has become and how unstable the area is, officials said.
As a result, more fencing has been added to a larger part of the area.
“We ask that visitors respect this barrier and all park safety barriers and that they keep pets on leashes and children away from the edges,” park officials said. “Even though the spot is marked with barriers, the sinkholes could change at any moment, and others could appear.”
Anything concerning can be reported to Cape Lookout State Park staff at 503-842-4981.
Pacific City is about 100 miles southwest of Portland.
This story was originally published June 22, 2023 at 1:15 PM with the headline "Massive void emerges on Oregon coast when two sprawling sinkholes merge, photos show."
