GRAY COURT, S.C. —Jeremy Welsh, a resident of Gray Court, South Carolina, has been dealing with concerning yard issues, including several holes and a 40-foot crevice connecting them.The discovery led to a geological investigation by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Geological Survey."So I knew that the areas underlain by mostly granite and so there are no faults in the immediate area," Robby Morrow, Senior Piedmont Geologist for South Carolina Department of Natural Recou...
GRAY COURT, S.C. —
Jeremy Welsh, a resident of Gray Court, South Carolina, has been dealing with concerning yard issues, including several holes and a 40-foot crevice connecting them.
The discovery led to a geological investigation by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Geological Survey.
"So I knew that the areas underlain by mostly granite and so there are no faults in the immediate area," Robby Morrow, Senior Piedmont Geologist for South Carolina Department of Natural Recources, said.
Welsh's neighbor experienced a similar issue, with the problem growing to a dangerous extent, making lawn maintenance difficult.
"It grew and grew and grew to the point to where it was very dangerous for both of us to be able to mow the lawn and everything else," Welsh said.
Morrow clarified that these are not technically sinkholes, as limestone is required for that, which is absent in the area. However, granite is present, which gets weathered too.
The weathering is caused by water. The removal of pine forest when the houses in the area were built led to destabilization, allowing groundwater to flow more freely through the soil.
"When you remove that foliage it creates a destabilization effect where basically the groundwater has more room to flow through the soil," Morrow said.
The lawn dips down toward the fence line, where the cracks and holes are located.
"That might be an explanation for why we have the larger cavities that formed on the property," Morrow said.
To further investigate, geologists used ground-penetrating radar, moving it in a grid to understand the subsurface conditions. These images will be analyzed.
"A lot of times these things can be they're just simple drainage issues," said Morrow.
Welsh expressed confidence in the ongoing investigation.
"It makes me feel a lot more confident," Welsh said.
Welsh's next step is to consult a civil engineer to develop a drainage system for the affected area of his yard.
Since the initial story aired, the Department of Natural Resources has received reports from at least three others in the Upstate experiencing similar problems.