CARBONDALE, Pa. — A mine subsidence is to blame for damage to two homes in Lackawanna County, and emergency repairs are underway, leaving some to worry if it could happen to them too.
Marytheresa Carlo says she and her family are living a nightmare. In December, her neighbors called her about their driveway collapsing on Fallbrook Street in Carbondale. After calls to city officials and the Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation, crews were called in to make repairs to the areas that collapsed. But last month, it happened again.
"It just continued to sink from there. The foundation separated from the siding, and we now have cracks inside the home, outside the home, and we can't live in there," Carlos said.
Crews are still working on a fix, but the Carlo family isn't able to live in their home.
Jerry Maida lives near the damaged homes and says he's devastated seeing what his neighbors are going through and worries about his property too.
"I'm leery right now. What the heck could happen? So, I don't know, if it's going happen to them, it could happen to anybody."
Carbondale Mayor Michele Bannon has been in contact with the Bureau of Abandoned Mine Reclamation. Bannon says the city was once a big mining town, and this subsidence has caused serious concern for everyone.
"I'm getting a lot of calls this week, especially from people on the west side. 'How do I secure that insurance?' 'Where do I find out about it?' Because the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is who offers it, and they have a specific website set up for that."
Unfortunately, the Carlos didn't have mine subsidence insurance. To make matters worse, Carlo says her homeowners insurance company is dropping her policy at the end of the month, leaving them in the hole financially as well.
"There's no federal or state funding for this for the structure of the home. There's nothing out there. We're in debt now for this."