Mount Dora road caves in after heavy rains, takes 4 cars with it

Road already under construction, officials say

MOUNT DORA, Fla. – Heavy rains caused a Mount Dora road to cave in on Tuesday, taking four cars with it.

North Donnelly and West 3rd Street in downtown Mount Dora was already under construction when afternoon storms brought rain, sinking the road.

The cars have been towed out of the caved in road, which was covered with asphalt.

The road was kept open despite the construction so people could have access to the businesses, but the road has since been closed and the water has been shut off at nearby businesses.

City Public Works & Utilities crews along with the construction manager team worked until about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday night cleaning up. Water was restored to the Lakeside Inn and all other impact businesses and residents that night.

A boil water notice was issued for 25 connections including Lakeside Inn due to the major washout of the water main.

Local 6 spoke to the owner of one of the vehicles who parked on the road at 3:15 p.m., went to get coffee and came back 45 minutes later to find her car on the sunken road.

"We can confirm today that rain was definitely to blame for yesterday's washout," officials said. "According to the St. John's River Water Management District, Mount Dora saw 3 to 3.5 inches of rainfall in less than an hour yesterday, and saw 7 ¼ inches in a 24 -hour period. The average level of rain fall for Mount Dora in June is 6.1 inches. So we essentially had one month's rainfall in one day. That heavy, quick rain caused the sand to flow down hill."

Phase 1 of the project is still on schedule for completion for October 1.

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