In an astonishing turn of events, the residents of Johnstown, Colorado , have been evacuating their homes upon learning a devastating secret about their properties. People from this small town began leaving en masse after uncovering that their homes were constructed over what used to be a pond. "People walking down through this neighbourhood have got to look at this and just say, what in the world?" said Holly Sturgon, a resident forced to vacate, during an interview with 9News, reports the Daily Star.

Beach homeowner ropes off part of shore from public and orders families away Homeowner stuck in years-long battle with mail delivery trucks driving on lawn She revealed further, "This was originally a retention pond, and in a flood last year, it came to light that it needs to be a retention pond." The ordeal for Sturgon started when her basement succumbed to flooding after ten years of incident-free living, only for her to discover the alarming reality that her house stood on a former retention pond. The developer filled the pond and laid the foundations of these houses, without ever telling the homeowners, reports 9News Overwhelmed by the situation, Sturgon said, "Up until a month ago I probably cried almost every single day.

You can hear me choking up about it now," articulating her daily struggle with the emotional toll. In an attempt to find some solace from this catastrophe, Sturgon is now attempting to sell off her possessions. DON'T MISS: The exact amount Americans must .