Update on Tuesday, June 26, 2018: MOON LAKE, Fla. – A geologist with the Department of Environmental Protection determined Tuesday a depression at a mobile home park is a sinkhole.
The 15-foot-by-15-foot hole opened around 3 p.m. Monday in the area of 11700 Pearl Drive.
Pasco County Emergency Management and Building inspections will continue to monitor the sinkhole and surrounding homes.
Six homes were asked voluntarily to evacuate. People in four of the six homes have chosen to evacuate, one has decided to stay put and the other is vacant.
Original Story on Monday, June 25, 2018: MOON LAKE, Fla. – A 15-by-15-foot depression opened in a mobile home park in the area of 11700 Pearl Drive, officials said. Six homes were asked to voluntarily evacuate.
“I can tell you it looks like a sinkhole, it’s acting like a sinkhole, although I’m not the authority on sinkholes,” said Assistant County Administrator Kevin Guthrie.
People in four of the six homes have chosen to evacuate, one has decided to stay put and the other is vacant.
The depression is on private property, leaving the property owner responsible for fixing it. Officials say any more rain could make it worse.
“We do believe we’re doing to lose some of the edges as a natural slope," Guthrie said. "Typically sinkholes are cylindrical in nature so there is going to be a natural slope that happens with it especially if we get any more rain."
If it grows, and by chance damages homes, homeowners would be forced to take the loss.
“It’s scary. These homes are so old you can’t get insurance on them. So, if anything happens you’re on your own,” said neighbor Lois Scott.
What caused the hole is still unknown.
“All we can do is pray because it's nature,” Scott said.
Pasco County officials, who have notified state emergency management and the Department of Environmental Protection of the depression, are also working with the University of South Florida to try to understand sinkholes.
“I’m hoping this is another example that I might be able to take to the legislature this next year to see if maybe we can get some type of grant so the USF might be able to do more of a scientific study on this," Guthrie said. "So we can understand and know the science behind the disaster.”
The property owner at the Caribbean Estates mobile home park will work with an engineer to assess the damage, which could take up to several weeks.
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