WYOMING, Mich. — A Wyoming family finally has a place to stay tonight. The city condemned their house after a sinkhole opened up in the front yard and received help after days with nowhere to live. The American Red Cross will now put them in a hotel for a few nights after 13 ON YOUR SIDE got involved with the story.
The sinkhole appeared out of nowhere.
"This humongous hole here, it was more than a person's height," says homeowner Ana Carillo. "Was right down on our property, it took down that shrub right there."
It was a terrifying sight for Carillo to see in her front yard, she said.
"I got so scared I ran inside the house and grabbed our baby," she says. "I felt like there's a danger here."
The City of Wyoming came out to see it and fill it in, but the home still was condemned. The Carillos were left with nowhere to go.
"We just got, like, thrown out basically," says Carillo.
The city sent 13 ON YOUR SIDE a statement, which you can read here in full:
The safety of our residents is a top priority for us. For this reason, we issued a no occupancy notice for the home after the ground collapsed in the front yard on July 21. The residents of the home have been able to visit to collect their belongings and basic necessities, such as clothing and food. We also have connected the residents with temporary housing resources through United Way Heart of West Michigan and the American Red Cross.
To help stabilize the home and with the owner’s permission, our Public Works team filled the hole with sand on the afternoon of July 25. At this time, we believe the cause of the sinkhole is due to geological activities in the area. Due to the proximity to City infrastructure, we have approved an emergency proposal for a consultant to investigate this issue.
Marissa Carillo, Ana's daughter who also lives in the house, says they had nowhere to bring their things.
"They told us that day to get things out, but it makes no sense because where are we going to take it?" she says.
The family resorted briefly to spending time at a campground.
"We stayed there for two days," says Marissa. "That's not a fix that we can just stay there for a long time because it is an hour away and my mom's job is here."
Then, they had to use resources at the hospital where a family member is being treated.
"We shower while we're there and we sleep sitting down" says Marissa.
But that came to an end on Wednesday. A City of Wyoming spokesperson says shortly after 13 ON YOUR SIDE contacted them, the Red Cross put the Carillos in a hotel, and will cover their stay for the next few nights.
As for the sinkhole itself, the city says it believes the cause of the sinkhole is a "void in the bedrock," not related to gypsum mines in the area.
The Carillos are waiting for their insurance company to come out and assess the damage. The city also will have its own inspection done, approving an emergency proposal for a consultant to investigate.
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