October 27, 2025
Donnelly Street Won’t Reopen Before Christmas After Record Flooding
By Frank Stanfield
Donnelly Street Won’t Reopen Before Christmas After Record Flooding
City, county and federal officials, with washed out Donnelly Street behind them and the sound of thunder overhead, told reporters Monday afternoon that no one knows for sure when things will return to normal following Sunday night’s torrential rainfall.
“It won’t be before Christmas,” Mayor James Homich said of Donnelly near the intersection of Limit Avenue.
Mount Dora Mayor James Homich. Photo by Frank Stanfield.
Uncertainty includes Wolf Branch Road, a major throughfare.
Megan Milanese, Lake County’s emergency management director, said the county is working with the Florida Department of Transportation to assess the damage.
The Lake County Board of County Commissioners has declared a local state of emergency. The National Weather Service says a warm front moving across Central Florida dumped 14–19 inches in Eustis and 10–14 inches in Mount Dora.
The county emergency declaration is effective immediately and will remain in effect for seven days, unless extended or canceled as permitted by law.
The site of the press conference provided a dramatic backdrop to the flash flood disaster.
“Our topography is very different from the rest of Florida,” Mount Dora Mayor James Homich says. “We have all the hills.”
Donnelly crosses a steep ravine, and that section was under about 8 feet of water.
Firefighters had to rescue several drivers, says Fire Chief Joseph Hightower. One driver managed to get out of their car before it plunged into the ravine, he said, gesturing to a section of roadway that looked like a broken graham cracker. Firefighters rushed to see if anyone else was in the car.
Some residents were evacuated, with 12 sheltered until 1:45 a.m.
The storm resulted in several road closures, including Britt Road, Timberlake Drive, and Limit Avenue. Sinkholes were also reported in the Eustis area on East Crooked Lake Drive and Country Club Drive, according to a county press release.
Some residents of Waterman Village cannot return to their homes for the foreseeable future. In some cases, there is only a few feet between the back of their homes and a 40-foot drop off, Homich says.
There is also a boiled water alert due to damaged drinking water, wastewater and recycled water lines.
Republican Congressman Randy Fine said his office would do whatever it could to help, but noted the federal government is shut down, including the Federal Flood Insurance department.
He blasted the Democrats for the shutdown, saying they voted 17 times not to reopen the government. Democrats want to extend Obama Care health benefits. Republicans say they can negotiate only if their rivals agree to end the stalemate.
Federal response will depend on whether Gov. Ron DeSantis declares an emergency.
Questions were raised about the effect on downtown businesses.
“Mount Dora is open for business,” says Police Chief Mike Gibson, adding that there are 20 access points.
Residents are urged to check the county’s emergency management communication channels and monitor local media for weather alerts and road closures.
Milanese urged homeowners to call 352-253-9999 to report flood damage.
Frank Stanfield has been a journalist for more than 40 years, including as an editor and reporter for the Daily Commercial, Orlando Sentinel and Ocala Star-Banner. He has written three books, “Unbroken: The Dorothy Lewis Story,” “Vampires, Gators and Wackos, A Florida Newspaperman’s Story,” and “Cold Blooded, A True Crime Story of a Murderous Teenage Cult.” He has appeared on numerous national and international broadcasts, including Discovery ID, Oxygen and Court TV. He maintains a blog at frankestanfield.com. Stanfield graduated with a political science degree from the University of North Florida and a master’s in journalism at the University of Georgia.
