Land O’ Lakes Sinkhole: Fundraiser For Victims Continues

LAND O’ LAKES, FL — As more families in Land O’ Lakes learned over the past few days their homes had been deemed total losses due to the Ocean Pines Drive sinkhole, an effort to help them recover remained active.

The United Way of Pasco County kicked off a fundraiser to assist the original affected families’ recovery efforts back in July. The number of potential beneficiaries has grown significantly in the the last week. The tally of condemned properties climbed to seven as of Monday, Aug. 7.

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As word of the sinkhole’s growing property count spread, the tally in the Sinkhole Relief Fund rose to $41,000 over the past week, Doug Tobin, county spokesman, announced on Tuesday. The effort, however, remains very much active. The fundraiser was launched when the county and United Way realized “repair and recovery expenses will push these residents beyond their financial capacity,” county officials said in July.

People who would like to donate to the relief effort may do so by:

• Texting the word “Sinkhole” to 41444
• Giving online at UnitedWayPasco.org
• Mailing donations to United Way of Pasco County, 17230 Camelot Court, Land O’ Lakes, FL 34638

The latest casualty of the sinkhole is located at 21845 Ocean Pines Drive. On Sunday, the county also reported homes at 21748 Ocean Pines Drive and 3153 Canal Place had been condemned. Two homes along Ocean Pines Drive were deemed losses on Aug. 5 after the sinkhole expanded by an estimated 30 feet between Thursday night and Saturday morning. The five condemned properties add to the original two homes that were swallowed when the sinkhole opened on July 14.

As of Saturday morning, the county said the sinkhole had grown to about 260 feet in width at its widest point. It previously measured between 225 and 235 feet. On Monday, Kevin Guthrie, assistant county administrator for public safety, said the sinkhole no longer appears to be active based on information he has received. The county’s building inspector, however, is visiting the area surrounding the hole daily, checking on the safety and stability of homes that surround it.

Work to clean up and stabilize the area continues.

The sinkhole in question opened up behind a home at 21825 Ocean Pines Drive shortly before 7:21 a.m. July 14. Pasco County Fire Rescue crews arrived on the scene at 7:36 a.m. and reported a depression about the size of a “small pool.”

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Photo courtesy of the Pasco County