Sinkhole near Tampa destroys two houses and swallows a boat
A Florida sinkhole that started out the size of a small swimming pool and continued to grow, swallowed a boat, destroyed two homes and prompted officials to evacuate residents from about a dozen homes Friday.
Dramatic video showed the home in Land O’Lakes, north of Tampa in Pasco County, collapsing into the hole Friday morning. It quickly engulfed one home and a boat and then consumed about 80 percent of another home, said Kevin Guthrie, Pasco County’s assistant county administrator for public safety.
By Friday afternoon, the hole stretched up to 250 feet wide and 50 feet deep, and threatened to damage a third home, he said.
Pasco County Fire Chief Shawn Whited told reporters that no one was at home when crews responded to a call about a “depression” under a boat in the backyard of a house in Lake Padgett Estates in Land O’Lakes.
Within minutes, he said, “the hole opened up” and the boat fell into it.
Firefighters were able to get two dogs out of the home and retrieve some belongings before the first home started collapsing into the quickly expanding hole.
No injuries have been reported.
Sheriff Chris Nocco said that within roughly 30 feet of the sinkhole, the ground was soft underfoot and felt like it was moving.
“Walking down the street, you can see in people’s eyes the anxiety level,” he said. “They’re fearful.”
Eleven homes were evacuated, including the two that were destroyed. County property records show there was a sinkhole at the property where the first house was swallowed up, and that it had been stabilized in 2014. The home was sold in 2015, according to records. There was no response to messages left for its owner Friday.
Sinkholes are stabilized by boring holes into the ground and injecting concrete.
Guthrie said that he was concerned that if the sinkhole continued to grow, it would damage septic tanks that could pollute a nearby lake.