Hudson sinkhole house called total loss

HUDSON — A day after a sinkhole opened up underneath a house, emergency officials continued to monitor the situation to make sure there was no further danger to public safety.

Among the steps they took were to cut off water lines, gas lines and electricity to the house at 14003 Shoal Drive, said Ria Maris of Pasco County emergency management.

For the most part, the situation Thursday hadn’t changed much from when the sinkhole, about the size of a two-car garage, opened Wednesday, she said.

“The sinkhole did get a little bigger and filled with water,” Maris said.

There were no injuries at the home.

Sally Minutillo, 79, who lived in the house, was evacuated from the property and was staying with her sister, officials said.

Neighbor Annette Rogers, who lives across the street, said Minutillo stopped by the house Thursday morning, but couldn’t go in because it was unsafe.

“As far as she’s concerned, the house is a total loss,” Rogers said.

That’s in line with the official view. The house was condemned Wednesday, Maris said.

Meanwhile, residents in an adjacent house were asked to evacuate as a precaution and they did, Maris said. A third nearby house also would have been evacuated, but was already vacant, she said.

Officials created a quarantine area within a 100-foot perimeter of the sinkhole, Maris said.

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