HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A precautionary evacuation was triggered after what officials called a ‘ground collapse’ at a Memorial-area condo community.
Houston Fire Department crews responded to the incident at 405 Sutherland Terrace Place at about 8:30 a.m.
ABC13 spoke to a man whose parents were inside who said the house started to shake. When his parents looked outside, a giant hole was in front of their home.
Nearby resident Rick Mckee said he was in shock. “That’s a big hole,” he said. “That’s a really big hole.
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The department shared the following images of the collapse.
A total of eight homes were evacuated as a precaution, HFD said.
HFD Captain Beau Moreno explained that a cistern held flood water in this area. With the amount of rain in Houston and surrounding areas, it had a catastrophic failure.
There were no injuries reported.
In a recent update, building engineers are out assessing the damage.
“It’s not a sinkhole,” Moreno said. “This is definitely a man-made structure under the ground designed to hold flood water in this area.
Since the collapse happened on private property, Houston Public Works said the community is responsible for the repairs. The neighborhood is part of Memorial Green Homes.
ABC13 reached out to the community contact point, but we are still waiting to hear back.
