(Source: Tampa Tribune)
By Donna Koehn, Tampa Tribune, Fla.Jan. 17--Midday on Friday, Gov. Charlie Crist toured a citrus grove in Polk County, noted the "incredible damage" caused by days of freezing temperatures and signed a letter asking for federal disaster relief for Florida's farmers.
That same afternoon, Sergio Plaza stood quietly, a protective arm around his 7-year-old daughter, staring at his condemned house. His driveway and front yard are no more, consumed by a 35- to 40-foot sinkhole Wednesday. The Plant City home he bought in 1991 on a friendly residential cul-de-sac now teeters on the edge of a pit.
He has insurance that will cover it -- at least he hopes so.
No doubt, January has been exceptionally hard on Florida's farmers, who, in the peak of the strawberry growing season, have been desperate to keep their livelihood from freezing to death. Eleven straight nights of icebox temperatures led to 11 nights of watering to cover the strawberry plants in a protective coat of ice.
But that same plant-saving process plunders the aquifer, leading to unpredictable sinkholes and residential wells that run dry. This year, the aquifer -- a naturally occurring layer of water underground -- dropped about 60 feet, putting water out of reach for many who live in eastern Hillsborough County without access to municipal hookups.
Those experienced in the wintertime ritual knew to shut down their well pumps, but newcomers had no idea their expensive motors would burn up if the temperatures -- and therefore the aquifer -- dropped. And no one can guess whose house or street might suddenly cave in, although those who live near a large strawberry field seem especially vulnerable.
It's not a new problem for people who live in eastern Hillsborough, but the misery this year is extensive.
So far, the Southwest Florida Water Management District -- residents' first stop in a lengthy, sometimes confusing bureaucratic process required to see whether they are eligible for help -- has taken complaints about more than 600 homes without water.
The number of sinkholes grows each day, threatening more houses and closing roads, including, for several maddening days last week, Interstate 4. No one knows when the sinkholes will stop or whether weekend rains will aggravate the unsteady earth.
Strawberry city
Living with misery and anxiety breeds resentment, even in the small town of Plant City, the strawberriest place on Earth. With its berry-bedecked downtown decor, its annual strawberry festival and the crowning of wholesome strawberry queens, the city owes much to its farmers.
That's true now more than ever.
