A slow moving storm that stalled over west Central Florida late Sunday dropped a colossal 17-plus inches of rain on parts of Mount Dora and Eustis in just a few hours, washing out several main roads and forcing emergency crews to assess the damage in the dark.
“It was sitting over the same location for several hours,” said Jessie Schaper, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Melbourne, about the storm. “When this happens, it creates a worst-case scenario.”
Wolf Branch Road between Britt and Round Lake roads in Mount Dora was closed after being washed out from the heavy downpours. So was Donnelly Street, one of the main thoroughfares into downtown Mount Dora, which completely collapsed between Limit Avenue and U.S. Highway 441.
Harry Stauderman, owner of Oak Haven Farms and Winery, which sits near Wolf Branch Road, said he was shocked when he checked his rain gauge Monday morning and saw it registered 11 inches.
Damaged in Waterman Village in Mount Dora caused by the heavy rains is pictured Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (City of Mount Dora)
“I’ve never seen that much in one overnight storm,” said Stauderman, who has had the property for nearly 30 years. “That’s probably the largest volume and intensity that I’ve ever seen.”
Rainfall totals released by the National Weather Service showed a record amount of rainfall until just before midnight. Most of Eustis received more than 19 inches of rain; Mount Dora had between 13.5 inches and 17.8 inches of rain. Mount Plymouth recorded just over 10 inches. Tavares had more than 6 inches.
Lake Commission Chair Leslie Campione signed an emergency declaration for the county and said the state’s Emergency Management Department is working with Lake County emergency officials to assess the damage.
A slow moving storm that stalled over west Central Florida dropped nearly 15 inches of rain on parts of Mount Dora and Eustis late Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025. Pictured on Tuesday is a washed out section of Donnelly Street in Mount Dora. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel)
Damaged in Waterman Village in Mount Dora caused by the heavy rains is pictured Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (City of Mount Dora)
Damage along Donnelly Road in Mount Dora was caused by the heavy rains Sunday night, Oct. 26, 2025. (City of Mount Dora)
A flooded house is pictured at the intersection of Wolf Branch Road and Division Street on Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel)
A slow moving storm that stalled over west Central Florida 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)
A slow moving storm that stalled over west Central Florida dropped nearly 15 inches of rain on parts of Mount Dora and Eustis late Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025. Pictured on Tuesday is a washed out section of Donnelly Street in Mount Dora. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel)
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 damage along Donnelly Road in Mount Dora caused by the heavy rains. (City of Mount Dora)
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 damage along Old Eustis Road in Mount Dora caused by the heavy rains. (City of Mount Dora)
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 S.R.46 in Mount Dora caused by the heavy rains. (City of Mount Dora)
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)
A slow moving storm that stalled over west Central Florida dropped nearly 15 inches of rain on parts of Mount Dora and Eustis late Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025. Pictured on Tuesday is a washed out section of Donnelly Street in Mount Dora. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel)
Washed out section of Donnelly Street in Mount Dora — ..Flooding damage in Lake County after torrential rains last night, on Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel)
Mayor James Homich talks to the media after examining a washed out section of Donnelly Street in Mount Dora on Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel)
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, washing out several main roads including Donnelly Street, between Limit Avenue and U.S. Highway 441. (James Wilkins/Orlando Sentinel)
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A slow moving storm that stalled over west Central Florida dropped nearly 15 inches of rain on parts of Mount Dora and Eustis late Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025. Pictured on Tuesday is a washed out section of Donnelly Street in Mount Dora. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel)
Other roads that were closed because of wash outs included Old Eustis Road, between Donnelly Street and Dogwood Circle; U.S. 441, between Limit Avenue and Bristol Lake Road; Donnelley Street, between Pine Avenue and the Waterman Village entrance at Manorside Drive.
Because of water main line breaks, Mount Dora residents were advised to boil any water they planned to use for drinking or cooking.
Lake County spokeswoman Lexie Farmer said crews have been assessing the damage since early Monday. “But as far as we know, nobody has been displaced” because of a flooded home, she said.
A flooded house is pictured at the intersection of Wolf Branch Road and Division Street on Monday, Oct. 27, 2025. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel)
Albert Nowell was forced to take back roads to his job at The Goblin Market Restaurant and Lounge in downtown Mount Dora on Monday because of the washed out roads.
“It was completely destroyed,” he said of a section of Donnelly Street.
Resident Michael Lackey said he was about to head to a store but decided to wait until after it started raining.
“Well, it never stopped raining,” he said Monday. “And it just kept raining so hard and for so long. I knew we were going to have flooding but that is just terrible. They just lost all of the road down there.”
Cathy Hoechst, a former Mount Dora mayor and longtime resident, said the rain started heavily Sunday afternoon, and then continued throughout the evening with only brief pauses.
“There would be a break and then it would just dump rain,” she said. “It was like the skies just opened.”
Damage along Donnelly Road in Mount Dora was caused by the heavy rains Sunday night, Oct. 26, 2025. (City of Mount Dora)
On Monday, Central Florida can expect another round of afternoon thunderstorms, with some areas experiencing significant downpours. But forecasters say today’s rainfall is not expected to reach the same intensity as Sunday.
The downpours were caused by a warm front that lifted northward from Central Florida and released moisture. It appeared ahead of a cold front pushing south that is forecast to move into the region later this week, which will gradually bring drier weather and lower temperatures.
“We should start to see a transition from our current pattern of very wet to more fall-like weather by the end of the week,” Schaper said.
The low temperatures on Thursday are forecast to drop to 52 degrees and the highs will reach only the lower 70s.
In Mount Dora, city officials delayed opening City Hall until 10 a.m. for staff to safely arrive and allow crews to assess damage.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.