Fraser residents cope with evacuation due to massive sinkhole

FRASER, Mich. (WJBK) - It's been more than a week since a sinkhole forced dozens of people from their Fraser homes.

And while crews are working around the clock to shore-up the site, the sinkhole damage is spreading and residents continue to be displaced.

FOX 2: "What is it like, living out of a plastic bag?"

"Not good, not good," said Tom Bender, who lives on the sinkhole street. "You've got to do what you've got to do."

Tom Bendor is one of the lucky ones. He lives on Eberline, just off 15 Mile in Fraser, not the most damaged.

There are three houses hardest hit by the sinkhole.

Like many other residents, Bender had to be evacuated, he had water damage in his basement, and his neighborhood is messed up.  But his house was not totally condemned.  

"They are just heartbroken," Bender said of the residents. "My heart goes out to them. At least I'll be able to go back to my house, they won't."

FOX 2: "We are hearing it will be 10 months before the area gets back to normal."

"It's going to be longer than that," said Bryan Nowicki, Select Restoration.

Nowicki does water evacuation, basically cleaning up the sewage in the flooded basements.  He says about seven basements flooded on Monday because of the sink hole. Again, those are the lucky ones.

"Look at this place, It's a war zone out here," Nowicki said. "Those houses are going to be torn down. The guys are working hard out here, there are hundreds of guys out here."

Bender said displacement has been difficult.

"We're not living," he said. "We're living in a motel, we're going back and forth grabbing things as we need them. It's very inconvenient."

The authorities are not saying when the people whose homes are salvageable can move back. But is there a bright side?

"I've lived here 17 years and I've talk to people I've never talk to before," Bender said. "Now this (has caused us) an open dialogue with the neighbors and it's a very positive thing."