Sinkholes, like this one, are often seen as depressions in the surface of the earth or even pavement. In a geological sense, sinkholes occur when water erodes solid bedrock, creating an underground cavity that collapses.

Rumors of a sinkhole at Zimmer Building 5 have a few people worried this morning, but a Zimmer official says there is no reason to worry.

Gary Clark of Zimmer tells StaceyPageOnline.com this morning that, while there was a slight depression in the pavement of a parking area at Bldg. 5, “it was the size of a hubcap.” Clark said the area was drilled out and repacked and is not a sinkhole, “but rather a problem caused by recent rains.”

In the geological sense, sinkholes happen when water erodes solid bedrock, creating an underground cavity that collapses. The term can be used in a broader sense to describe any sudden slump of the Earth’s surface.

The Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory was not made aware of any problems regarding a sinkhole at Zimmer this morning. Some employees of Zimmer say the affected area of the parking lot is more like the size of a 55-gallon barrel and they are concerned, but fear that voicing their concerns will have negative effects on their jobs.

Sinkholes have made national news recently. The most disheartening story came from Tampa, Fla., in late February when the earth swallowed a man after a sinkhole developed underneath the bedroom of his home. In southern Illinois in March, a golfer fell into an 18-foot deep sinkhole on a golf course in Waterloo, Ill.