TRT for Men in Sky Lake, FL

MONDAY PM UPDATE: Polk County officials have reopened Scott Lake Road today. The road, between Fitzgerald Road and Old Scott Lake Road, was closed to through traffic since last Friday while contractors repaired a sinkhole that opened near the road last week.

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LAKELAND — A large sinkhole has opened near Scott Lake in Lakeland.

What You Need To Know

The hole is at Scott Lake Road and Fitzgerald Road in the south part of the city.

Officials said at an afternoon news conference that the hole is about 75 feet wide. Crews were working to backfill the hole to stabilize it.

"A private enterprise hired by a property owner, drilling across the private drive, hit a pressurized pocket, causing the collapse. The property owners are on-site assessing the situation," the county said in an evening news release.

Experts say the crew was drilling a well and got to about 180 feet down before breaking through a hard layer that opened into a 300-foot void.

"This is a fairly high area of Florida," said University of South Florida engineering professor Nicholas Albergo. "I think it sits about 168 feet above sea level. So you can imagine that's a fair amount of weight that's occurring over our limestone, which can be very brittle, very cavernous."

Albergo said drilling into the open space underground could have caused a drop in water pressure, and anything previously being held up by the water would become dead weight.

"The amount of weight we're talking about could have been enough to actually cause a collapse or a break through that confining unite," he said. "It doesn't have to be very large at that point. A sinkhole will manifest itself quite quickly."

Three homes are in the area, but no structural damage has been reported. No evacuations have been ordered, but residents of the homes were told to be ready to leave if needed.

Fitzgerald Road was closed, and officials didn't have an estimate of when it would be reopened.

The area of the hole is very close to a spot where a sinkhole swallowed up portions of Scott Lake in 2006.

@PolkFire is investigating a sinkhole that opened up sometime yesterday, & has expanded today @BN9 pic.twitter.com/90T16aTBNB

— Fallon Silcox (@FallonSilcox) June 9, 2023

That hole took so much water out of the lake that neighbors could see the lake bottom.

Jack Hall has lived in the area since 1989 and described what happened in the 2006 incident.

“Just a sinkhole on the other side of the lake, it took the level down rapidly and it eventually plugged and came right back up,” he said.

Hall said he had his home reinforced for sinkholes but said Friday he’s not especially worried about the hole that has formed now.

“Having had a sinkhole claim on my own home, I’ve learned a lot about it,” he said. “And personally, I’m not that worried about it. This is a sinkhole area, and that’s the nature of the property.”

VIDEO: A possible sinkhole opened near Scott Lake in Lakeland. Read the story here: https://t.co/QZFSMRHPf2 pic.twitter.com/1wqc9EFpO9

— Spectrum Bay News 9 (@BN9) June 9, 2023

Forests and canyons are likely not two things you’d expect to visit in Central Florida, but drive from Daytona Beach and you’ll find the expansive 673-square-mile Ocala National Forest, also known as the Florida Black Bear Scenic Byway, denoted by numerous bear crossing signs along State Route 40.

The Ocala National Forest boasts hiking trails, canoe runs, over 600 lakes and even 19th-century homesteads to explore. Florida fisherman can enjoy the Rodman Reservoir, one of the best largemouth bass lakes in Florida.

Drive further, through the lovely, canopied roads, and you’ll end up at the ultimate destination: Canyons Zip Line and Adventure Park. Built atop a flooded limestone quarry, this 100-acre park with 100-foot elevation changes, sits in Big Cliff Canyon and offers multiple treetop zip lines above and through the tree canopy. Choose three, five or nine zip packages, or even a full moon nighttime tour. Closer to the ground, park-goers may choose horseback riding, kayak tours or gem mining.

The most popular tour is the Treetop Express, a five-zip-line, two-sky-bridge, 90-minute tour guided by two skilled and attentive guides. You’ll experience a breathtaking zip across the 85-foot deep Lost Spring Lake. The guides are engaging, entertaining, safety-conscious and ensure their guests are safe, smiling and flying the whole way! If you’ve never been zip lining, it’s fun, smooth, fast, safe and exhilarating, and the perfect way to literally harness your fears.

If you have the time and need a little more adrenaline, the Big Cliff Canyon tour is for you. With nine zip lines up to 1,150 feet long, two sky bridges (one bridge is 100 feet in length and will challenge your resolve) and a rappel off of the final platform, you’ll be flying high and zipping at heights of over 130 feet.

Zip line participants must weigh between 70-270 pounds. Reservations are required, and don’t forget your closed-toed shoes and your sense of adventure. Photo packages and even GoPro rentals (the camera is mounted on your helmet) are available. For more information and to make reservations, visit www.zipthecanyons.com or call 352-351-ZIPS (9477).

Florida is home to six species of venomous snakes that are each native to the state. The largest is the eastern diamondback rattlesnake. Easily identifiable, these snakes are brown, black and tan in color with a large diamond pattern running down their back. They have a thick, broad head with a white-outlined, dark-brown stripe that runs diagonally across their face. Their most notable feature is their rattle-capped tail that can be heard as they shake it loudly in warning to any approaching threats. As adults, these snakes on average reach lengths of 3-6 feet long and weights of 2-5 pounds.

These cold-blooded reptiles are solitary creatures that prefer to lie coiled and wait for their prey in hidden, secluded areas. They are effective and patient hunters whose diet mainly consists of small mammals, such as mice, rats, squirrels, rabbits and ground-dwelling birds. Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes can be found distributed throughout the state and prefer to live in dry places, such as pine flatwoods and longleaf regions. These snakes can also swim and often live on barrier islands around the state.

In Florida, mating season for the eastern diamondback rattlesnake occurs around late summer through the fall season. Males can travel, and often compete, to find a mate. Females give live birth to an average of 10-20 offspring after a gestation period of six to seven months. The newborns will stay with their mothers for around a week and a half, at which point they will claim their independence and venture into the world alone. Eastern diamondback rattlesnakes have an average lifespan of 10 years in the wild, though they can live much longer than that.

Crucial to their survival, eastern diamondback rattlesnake populations are dwindling due to human interferences. Habitat degradation, habitat loss, roadway mortalities and fear-based elimination of these snakes has had a significant impact on the numbers of these incredible animals.

It is important to remember that fear is a natural emotion but not a necessary catalyst to kill these important creatures. Snakes play a critical role in our ecosystems and are generally not a threat to humans when left alone. We can reduce our conflict with snakes by over 90 percent if we adhere to the rule of never feeding, threatening, approaching or handling wildlife. With all our combined efforts, we can keep Florida’s abundant biodiversity plentiful and protected for generations to come.

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R​esidents across a wide swath of Florida woke up to hazy gray skies and unhealthy air quality as wildfire smoke from Canada made its way down to the Sunshine State.

H​ere's what happened.

How Canadian wildfire smoke impacted Florida:

-Air quality was ranked unhealthy in several areas in or near Orlando, Jacksonville, West Palm Beach, Lake Okeechobee and Venice.

-Other areas had air quality considered unhealthy for sensitive groups such as people with asthma. Those included several spots in the Tampa Bay area as well Sarasota, Ocala and Lakeland.

-​We've gotten used to seeing wildfire smoke pollution recently in places like New York City, but this kind of event is extremely unusual for Florida.

W​eather.com senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman adds:

-​Incredibly, that plume of wildfire smoke, which blanketed Maine and Atlantic Canada last week, has made it as far south as Florida and was also moving westward near the northern Gulf Coast.

-This smoke was steered southwestward by an omega block of high pressure that is responsible for monthly record heat in the Plains, Midwest and Northeast.

-It's a reflection of how extreme and widespread Canada's wildfires have been this year. Almost 800 fires are still burning as of Oct. 3 from the Yukon and Northwest Territories to Quebec.

-Wildfire smoke contains microscopic particulate that's 30 times smaller than the diameter of a strand of hair.

-Those tiny particles are made up of things like chemicals, metals, acids, soils and dust. When people breathe in air polluted with wildfire smoke, those particulates can get deep into the bloodstream and lungs.

-AirNow.gov tracks real-time air quality for every zip code in the U.S.​ and also features a wildfire/smoke map to track what's happening in your area. A number between 151 and 200, or the "red" category, denotes unhealthy air quality. Orange is unhealthy for sensitive groups.

M​ore on weather.com:

-Canada Wildfire Smoke Crossed The Atlantic Ocean ... In September

-​Wildfire Smoke Might Be Coming For Your Favorite Vegetable

Weather.com reporter Jan Childs covers breaking news and features related to weather, space, climate change, the environment and everything in between.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

The congregation at a North Miami Beach synagogue has opened its doors to accept donations that they'll be sending to Israel amid the battle with Hamas.

Skylake Synagogue looked like a factory of emergency supplies Tuesday afternoon as a steady stream of people arrived with bags and carts full of items all to ship to Israel.

The response was so overwhelming that Skylake Synagogue extended its hours to continue taking collections.

The synagogue is collecting hygiene products, sleeping bags, batteries and other items that will mostly go to army bases in Israel. They’re most in need of medical supplies, over-the-counter medications and personal hygiene products. The synagogue is also asking for volunteers to help sort the items that are donated.

Rabbi Ariel Yeshurun put out the call for donations and the word spread through chat groups. He said the response in South Florida has been overwhelming.

“I think it’s a great testimony to the Jewish community in Miami, to the greater community in Miami really, that they came together in support of the Jewish people in the state of Israel,” Rabbi Yeshurun said.

Yeshurun said they've partnered with international organizations to ship the items.

"The one transporting is called Cadena, Cadena is a world relief organization, and we partner with them when it comes to the shipping of the items and on the ground in Israel are two Israel organizations, they will be doing the distribution in Israel," he said.

Skylake Synagogue will continue taking donations from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. this week and into next week. Monetary donations are also being accepted and anyone who prefers to send money can do so through Zelle with the account skylakeshul@gmail.com.

Sarah Akiba was one of hundreds who answered the call.

“I have family there, I have friends there I have my boyfriend’s best friends that are like his brothers fighting for us right now so this is all that we can do from back home,” Akiba said.

Meanwhile, at Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center, a project was underway before the war broke out to raise $115,000 to send an ambulance to Israel.

After the news of the Hamas terrorist attack, more than 80 individual donations poured in in one day.

“In a span of about 12 hours we raised an additional $80,000 give or take and the ambulance is on its way,” said Rabbi Jonathan Berkun.

The American Friends of Magen David Adom said they’re still in need of 300 more ambulances.

“We’ve actually lost two medics that were treating patients since the beginning of the war, we’ve had three ambulances destroyed,” said Jessica Nessim.

On Tuesday, kids also showed up to help the best way they know how, by writing letters of encouragement to Israeli soldiers thousands of miles away telling them to stay safe and reminding them how much they’re appreciated.

Canadian wildfire smoke causing 'unhealthy' air quality in Florida

FOX Weather Reporter Brandy Campbell is reporting from Miami where wildfire smoke from Canada has enveloped South Florida. Smoke has invaded much of the Sunshine State causing some of the unhealthiest air in the U.S. on Tuesday.

MIAMI – Florida skies went from blue to more of a milky haze Tuesday after wildfire smoke from Canada made its way to the Southeast, reaching as far as Miami and degrading air quality to unhealthy levels. But conditions were improving Wednesday.

(FOX Weather)

More than 300 wildfires continue burning out of control across Canada, but smoke ended up in Florida earlier this week due to a combination of weather systems. A low-pressure system over Florida from this past weekend worked with a high-pressure system over the eastern U.S., to carry smoke from Eastern Canada south off the East Coast and then as far south as Miami.

Skies across the Orlando region had an orange tint Monday night before sunset, and on Tuesday morning, the smoke continued to blanket Florida as air quality worsened.

Air quality in Florida on Oct. 4, 2023.(FOX Weather)

Unhealthy air levels with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 156 were measured in Jacksonville, Orlando, West Palm Beach and Delray Beach on Tuesday morning. Later on Tuesday, air quality levels reached "unhealthy" in the Tampa Bay area and across Southwest Florida.

The smoke could be seen from the Florida Panhandle to Jacksonville and down throughout South Florida.

The smokiness was visible across Surfline beach cameras on Florida's Space Coast and up and down the state's east coast.

FOX Weather's Brandy Campbell was in Miami, where the smoke covered the city skyline.

NOAA satellite imagery captured the smoke moving south through the atmosphere and enveloping the Sunshine State. The smoke was also seen over much of the Southeast on Tuesday morning.

While some lingering haze was expected across Florida Wednesday, the air quality has improved. Some residual smoke will blow across the Gulf Coast Wednesday and then carry north through the Southeast and into the Tennessee Valley, but impacts are minimal.

More than 18.4 million hectares burned this year in Canada alone, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center.