Two sinkholes open, stopping traffic in Rock Hill and Chester

At least two sinkholes were reported after heavy rain Tuesday night, causing traffic delays and reroutes.

The Rock Hill Police Department tweeted Wednesday morning the intersection of East White Street and Confederate Avenue will be closed today as crews repair a sinkhole there. Police asked drivers to avoid the area and use alternate routes.

The Rock Hill sinkhole wasn't the only one.

The Chester Police Department sent out an announcement late Tuesday night stating "severe flooding" and a sinkhole due to thunderstorms have the road closed from the Gadsden and Church streets intersection to Aiken Street. The announcement encouraged drivers to avoid that downtown area and "stay clear of flooded areas."

Sinkholes after major storms aren't unprecedented.

Earlier this month a sinkhole collapsed on McConnells Highway, causing a section of it to be closed for some time. Driveways were damaged. In May a Rock Hill intersection was closed when a sinkhole several feet deep opened on Charlotte Avenue.

According to the United States Geological Survey, sinkholes are areas in the ground where there is nowhere for water to drain.

Over time, the water can dissolve limestone, carbonate rock or other material to the point where the surface soil sinks into the ground. Sinkholes range in size from inches to more than 100 feet deep.

Sinkholes can form naturally, or with changes to water runoff patterns due to development or other man-made topography changes.

Katie Quinn, spokesperson for the City of Rock Hill, said the sinkhole there "doesn't look to be large in diameter," and that crews already are working to cut through it to access pipes below it.