6 Homes Evacuated in Florida Town Over Possible Sinkholes
— -- Multiple depressions in a central Florida neighborhood that may have been caused by repairs to a property that had sinkholes led to six homes being voluntarily evacuated.
The size of one of the depressions in Port Richey on Friday was estimated to be about 10 to 20 feet in diameter and 15 feet deep, reports ABC station WFTS-TV in Tampa Bay.
“When you start to fill one sinkhole, it puts pressure and sometimes the bottom of the sinkhole falls out, which causes the underground water system, or cave, to pressurize,” said Pasco County Fire Rescue Chief Andrew Fossa. "When that pressure rises, it needs to go somewhere, so that will cause multiple other smaller sinkholes and some larger sinkholes.”
Fire officials were worried that the depressions could further expand, reports WFTS-TV. Meanwhile, authorities were planning to stay in the area overnight to monitor the situation.
