Sinkhole threatens two Tarpon Springs homes

Virginia Crawford has a great excuse for why her husband won't be getting that new television for Fathers Day: A sinkhole ate it.

"When I looked, the whole concrete thing went down," she said.

The Crawfords and their nephew Henry Collins were both evacuated after large sinkholes opened up behind their homes starting about 6 p.m. Thursday.

As family members quickly moved their cars, another hole formed; then combined to form one larger one.

Tarpon Springs public works director Thomas Funcheon said the hole is now large enough "to fit a couple of good-sized vehicles."

The Crawfords, who took refuge in a local hotel, said they built the house in 1947.

"I ain't going in there until they really tell me it's safe," Virginia Crawford said.

Collins, 61, said his family was evacuated just to be on the safe side.

He said he had fallen asleep but was awakened by the ground giving way.

"The backyard just started sinking in from one end to the other," he said. "Just in the space of minutes; all this devastation came along."

Jim Flynn, a foundation contractor for LRE Foundation Repair of Brooksville, said they are waiting to hear from engineers to see whether they can save the Crawfords' home.

"Time doesn't guarantee anything," he said. "Just because you don't have a problem now, doesn't mean you won't have a problem down the road."

Collins said it doesn't do much good fretting over something that could happen in a blink of an eye.

"No sense in trying to worry about it anyway," he said. "What's gonna be is gonna be."

By JOSH GREEN|News Channel 8