Tropical storm releases water. Water falls on earth. Water trickles and rushes throuch channels and streams, and percolates into the earth. Earth destabalizes and dirt is carried away with water. Where a cave exists underground, dirt washes away beneath and leaves a depression or hole on the surface. Where towns are built on rock that dissolves by water (e.g. limestone), sinkholes are common.
Thanks for the explanation. I know how sinkholes work. Underground erosion of the limestone takes thousands of years, especially when you're looking at the depths we see here. They aren't created by a single storm.