Officials say caves could be to blame for 16 holes in Hudson neighborhood

HUDSON, Fla. - A community in Pasco County is on edge after 16 massive holes opened up in the ground in Hudson.

Officials in Pasco County are calling them "depressions" and not "sinkholes." They are working to figure out what caused them. Geologists are exploring whether the neighborhood's underlying problem is related to caves.

The scene is in the Beacon Woods community. Pasco County Emergency Management says crews checked out 16 holes between Sylvan Drive and Willow Brook Court since last Tuesday.

Pasco County Emergency Management Director Andy Fossa says the holes are mostly on property owned by homeowners or within the homeowner's association retention pond.

"They're not very large holes. Our largest one is approximately about 25 feet long by about 15 feet wide. That's the only one that as accumulated water in it, which tells us it has hit the aquifer and there's movement with it," Fossa said.

Near where the holes have formed are cave systems discovered 20 years ago by divers.

"It runs right through the heart of Beacon Woods and we started mapping that or following it on a map and it actually lines up with these cave systems," Fossa said.

No one is in danger and there is no threat to any property right now, but county and state officials are taking steps to find any more weak spots. They have marked the edges of the current holes to analyze any possible growth.

"The state, we're sending in a geologist to come in and study it to give the people here peace of mind," Rep. Amber Mariano, (R) Pasco County, said.