Sinkhole risk in Lauderdale County, AL: Pockets of it

Pockets of it

Soluble rock at the surface or under thin cover in part of the county.

On soluble rock: 37%
At or near the surface: 37%
Buried under cover: 0%

What this means before you buy

Check the parcel against your state survey sinkhole map, and ask for an inspection if cracks, depressions or sticking doors show up.

That works out to roughly 249 of Lauderdale County's 668 square miles on soluble rock, 249 of them with the rock at or near the surface. With about 97,502 residents (146 per square mile), homes are spread across towns and farmland, and a mapped unit may or may not reach the developed parts. The figures come from 260 map points about 1.6 miles apart, so a pocket smaller than that can be missed or overstated.

Counties around Lauderdale County

The nearest county rated sinkhole country is Colbert County, AL, about 16 miles southwest, close enough that the same rock may run under the county line. 2 of the 6 closest counties land in the same band; the ground changes quickly around here.

Colbert County, AL 16 mi southwest · 60% at surface
Wayne County, TN 25 mi north · 15% at surface
Lawrence County, TN 26 mi northeast · 21% at surface
Lawrence County, AL 32 mi southeast · 60% at surface
Franklin County, AL 34 mi south · 31% at surface
Tishomingo County, MS 35 mi west · 10% at surface

Which formation it is

The largest mapped soluble unit here is the Tuscumbia Limestone (limestone), Mississippian in age, covering about 37% of the county. Next is the Silurian System undivided (Includes Wayne Group and Brassfield Limestone) at under 1%.

Against the rest of Alabama

Lauderdale County ranks 17 of 67 in Alabama for soluble rock at the surface, and sits above 83% of US counties on that measure.