Land O’ Lakes Sinkhole Grows, Impacts 2 More Homes

LAND O’ LAKES, FL — The sinkhole in Land O ' Lakes that opened last month, swallowing two homes, has grown larger in recent days. Pasco County officials confirmed the hole on Ocean Pines Drive grew about 30 feet between Thursday night and Saturday morning, forcing two more homes to be condemned.

One of the homes was already evacuated. The other was not. Officials say the structural integrity of both properties has been compromised to the point that “residents cannot enter at all.” Both homes are in the 21800 block of Ocean Pines Drive.

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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.

Work to clean up and stabilize the area is expected to continue throughout the weekend, county spokesman Doug Tobin wrote in an email to media.

Lime and boulders are being brought in to help stabilize one side of the sinkhole to “create a boat ramp, slope it so we can get a small float barge and get into the sink hole, instead of working from sides,” Tobin said.

As the recovery efforts continue, the county has placed four safety officers around the sinkhole to monitor for any changes, Tobin added. “If anything should change, we will notify neighbors door-to-door if they need to evacuate.” Residents are advised to watch out for heavy trucks in the neighborhood. Those in need of help may call United Way at 211.

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.”

The hole, however, continued to expand, eventually demolishing the homes at 21825 and 21835 Ocean Pines Drive. A boat on the property at 21825 Ocean Pines Drive was also destroyed when the sinkhole first opened. The hole was estimated to be about 225 feet in diameter and about 50 feet deep before it started expanding over the past few days.

More information on the recovery efforts can be found on the county’s website.

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Photo courtesy of the Pasco County