Depression opens up between two New Port Richey homes

NEW PORT RICHEY (FOX 13) - Pasco County officials are keeping a close eye on a 20-foot-deep depression that opened under a home Tuesday night.

No one was inside the home when the ground gave way, but at least two families have been evacuated from their houses in the River Ridge Subdivision in New Port Richey.

According to county records, sinkhole activity has been reported at homes next door, across the street, and just down the block from the two evacuated homes.

The hole is 40 feet across and at least 20 feet deep. On the other side of the house, a smaller hole has also formed.

If the two are connected, officials say the problem could be much worse. 

“There’s been a few homes that have some kind of sinkhole correctional work," resident Rich Foster said. "But just little cracks here and there I guess is always a concern.”

The hole was first discovered by a homeowner Tuesday night around 10 o’clock.

“We have a wet bottom in the bottom of this depression, which is very similar to what we had in other depressions so we can’t really determine the depth," Pasco County Assistant County Administrator for Public Safety Kevin Guthrie said. “If those two are connected it would truly absolutely link the perimeter close to 100 hundred feet, but that is unconfirmed at this point because of the way the homes are sitting on the hole. It is absolutely impossible for us to tell if the two are connected.”

The county says it's going to monitor the depression. Because the depression does not currently extend beyond private property, it’ll be up to residents and the homeowners association to fill in the hole.

There hasn't been significant damage to either home, but the county says repairs to fix the hole could range from a few thousand dollars to as much as $50,000.