Six years after a sinkhole ripped open the ground beneath the Hideaway Hills neighborhood in the Black Hills of South Dakota, the original void remains unfilled and the 13 families forced to evacuate in April 2020 are still unable to move back into their homes.
What happened
In April 2020 a sinkhole nearly 30 feet wide collapsed in the middle of the subdivision, exposing a network of century‑old gypsum mine shafts that had been operated by the state before being sold to private developers in 1994. Residents, including Marshall Dalton, 60, who was renovating his basement at the time, were given little warning before crews ordered them to evacuate.
Dalton now works two jobs – at a local deli and a movie theater – to afford a new home. Others, such as Allison Ireland and her husband Brian, continue to make mortgage payments on houses they cannot occupy. “That was our home and it’s just sitting there,” Ireland told ABC News.
Legal battle
In May 2020, 150 homeowners filed a class‑action lawsuit against the state of South Dakota, the developers who built the subdivision, and the home‑building companies. The suit alleged that officials and developers knew the land sat atop a former gypsum mine.
South Dakota argued that its legal responsibility ended when it filled the mine and sold the property in 1994, invoking sovereign immunity. A lower court ruled against the homeowners, an appeals court affirmed the decision, and the state Supreme Court later upheld the ruling, stating the homeowners had no valid claim of government taking without compensation under the state constitution.
A spokesperson for Governor Larry Rhoden said the court’s decision follows the law, adding, “The residents of Hideaway Hills have endured significant hardship and uncertainty due to their land settling, and the governor is mindful of the challenges they continue to face.”
Impact on families
Many families report ongoing problems: crumbling driveways, unreliable utilities, and undrinkable water. School bus driver Tonya Junker says she cannot afford to leave, fearing a fresh start would be impossible. Katie Sirenana, who lives a few doors from the sinkhole with young children, admits she cannot sleep because she fears another collapse.
David Peck, whose family was also forced out, said, “I’m living paycheck to paycheck. I shouldn’t be at my age. I should be looking towards retirement. It’s all gone.”
State response
Governor Kristi Noem, who was in office when the sinkhole opened, held a call with affected homeowners and promised the state would not abandon them. A recording of that call was obtained by ABC News, but Noem has not commented further on the ongoing situation.
Despite the court rulings, the sinkhole remains a visible scar on the community, and the displaced families continue to shoulder mortgage costs and the emotional toll of losing what they believed would be their forever homes.
Broader context
ABC News notes that similar sinkhole incidents linked to abandoned mine shafts have occurred across the country, including a 40‑foot sinkhole on a New Jersey highway, a fatal collapse in Pennsylvania, and a deadly cave‑in under a California home.
These cases highlight the lingering dangers of aging, abandoned mining infrastructure beneath residential areas, prompting calls for more thorough geological assessments before new developments are approved.
Original reporting: Allentown News – 6abc Philadelphia — read the source article.
