Nearly a month after a storm dropped almost 20 inches of rain on parts of Lake County, flooding and washing out roads, local officials say repair work is underway and most residents have found ways around the damage.
But several people have not yet been able to return to their homes after water opened up a ravine behind a Mount Dora retirement community.
Wolf Branch Road between Britt and Round Lake roads was among the areas hardest hit by the slow moving storm that rolled through Central Florida on Oct. 26. Lake officials say Wolf Branch should be repaired by Christmas but there isn’t a timeline yet for the others.
“We understand the stress and inconvenience these conditions create for residents, businesses, and visitors, especially with the holiday season approaching,” the county said in a statement. “We appreciate the community’s patience as we work to restore these critical roadways.”
A section of Donnelly Street in Mount Dora completely collapsed between Limit Avenue and U.S. Highway 441, leaving a gaping hole.
Mount Dora Mayor James Homich said those coming from out-of-town don’t rely on Donnelly to get to the city, so the damage shouldn’t impact visits to downtown Mount Dora during the holiday season.
“Donnelly is this narrow road that locals use, and locals have figured out how to get around it,” he said.
Juliette Davis of Yada Yada Pottery agreed. There are other roads to get to her business, so she doesn’t see the out-of-order street causing too much trouble during the holiday season and beyond.
“It’s an inconvenience,” she said, “but they seem like they’ve done what they need to reroute the traffic until it can get fixed.”
Getting Donnelly Road fixed will take time, but perhaps not as much as the mayor first thought.
The day after the storm, Homich said repairing the washed out section would likely take a year.
But Homich said that estimate included building a bridge to help shore up the road. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, however, will only pay to return the road to its original state, so the bridge plan has been nixed.
A slow moving storm that stalled over west Central Florida dropped more than 15 inches of rain on parts of Mount Dora and Eustis in just a few hours late Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025. Pictured is flooding along Donnelly Road in Mount Dora caused by the heavy rains. (City of Mount Dora)
“We don’t have the resources to pay for something really expensive so we’re going to do what the engineers tell us they will agree to and then we’ll get that installed,” he said.
Homich said city officials are hoping to get the project out for bid soon and have construction start in early 2026. It will involve securing the banks along each side of the road to help stabilize it.
A slow moving storm that stalled over west Central Florida — including portions of Lake and Orange counties — dropped nearly 15 inches of rain on parts of Mount Dora and Eustis late Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025. Workers assess the damage at Wolf Branch Road at Timberlake Drive on Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel)
About 20 homes in the Waterman Village retirement community were evacuated after two 40-foot ravines opened up behind them following the storm.
Residents from 16 of the 20 homes have been able to return home, the city said, with water intrusion issues keeping the rest out of their houses.
Waterman Village is putting up the displaced residents in hotels until they can move back into their homes, the city said in a statement. Homich said the displacement is “not long-term”.
In Eustis, a bridge that collapsed a few days after the storm due to foundation damage from floodwaters has been temporarily repaired. The collapse forced the evacuation of 21 homes along Creek Run Lane in the Spring Ridge Estates neighborhood.
But those Eustis residents were able to return to their homes on Nov. 13, once the bridge, the only access route for residents in that area, was fixed.
Valentina Martino, whose parents own the Dark & Light Cafe in Mount Dora, said her family business hasn’t seen any enduring effects from the storm and subsequent road damage.
“For now, we’re going to be as normal as always,” she said.
Contact me at twilkins@orlandosentinel.com or 407-754-4980.
