SinkholeOdds

Sinkhole risk in Unicoi County, TN: Mostly deep or small

Mostly deep or small

Some soluble rock, mostly deeply buried or in a small share of the county.

On soluble rock
11%
At or near the surface
11%
Buried under cover
0%

The next step for one property

Sinkholes are uncommon here; watch for new depressions after heavy rain or leaking pipes.

That works out to roughly 20 of Unicoi County's 186 square miles on soluble rock, 20 of them with the rock at or near the surface. With about 17,872 residents (96 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 416 map points about 0.7 miles apart, so a pocket smaller than that can be missed or overstated.

Worth reading for this county: how these percentages are measured, and the warning signs that apply anywhere.

Counties around Unicoi County

The nearest county rated sinkhole country is Washington County, TN, about 14 miles north, close enough that the same rock may run under the county line. 1 of the 6 closest counties land in the same band; the ground changes quickly around here.

Which formation it is

The largest mapped soluble unit here is the Shady Dolomite (dolostone (dolomite)), Cambrian in age, covering about 4% of the county. Next is the Honaker Dolomite at 4%.

Against the rest of Tennessee

Unicoi County ranks 74 of 95 in Tennessee for soluble rock at the surface, and sits above 68% of US counties on that measure.