by Chuck Seaver, South Lake Tablet
For most Central Floridians, the evening of Wednesday, October 9th will be a night that many will not soon forget. Hurricane Milton’s eye, or storm center, made landfall at 8:30 pm near Siesta Key, Florida. Milton’s impacts were far-reaching inland well before his arrival to Florida’s Gulf Coast with feeder bands that held strong wind gusts and tornadic activity that ravaged parts of the south Florida and Atlantic coast areas.
The category 3 hurricane made its trek across south central Florida throughout the evening and into the early morning of Thursday, October 10th. The greatest impacts seemed to be hitting the south Lake community at approximately 2:00 am with torrential downpours of rain and wind forces that have not been felt in the area since the hurricane season of 2004.
Lives were changed, some permanently, in a way that only a natural disaster could provide. Many in the community suffered damage to their homes and businesses while others realized the catastrophic loss of trees that were decades old. Residents located along bodies of water would not feel the full impact of the storm for several days as water levels continued to rise. Although the rains had stopped, natural drainage from the surrounding hills and the Green Swamp area continue to feed the chain of lakes located in Clermont. The chain is connected to a series of waterways that flow northward from south Florida into the Green Swamp. From the chain of lakes, the water continues northward into the Lake Harris Chain and eventually into the St. John’s River system.
Iconic displays throughout the area were damaged by Milton or the infrastructure was crippled that helped protect many of them from the elements. The replica Statue of Liberty that once adorned the Presidents’ Hall of Fame on US-27 near the Citrus Tower campus, was blown over during Milton’s winds. The statue was once used in a patriotic parade in downtown Clermont that was held in support of the nation and the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Damage to the statute is unknown currently.
The city of Clermont’s docks on Lake Minneola were heavily damaged or destroyed due to the high winds and large, pounding waves. Portions of the South Lake Fitness Trail, near Hiawatha Park, were flooded with some reports of pavement collapse. The floating docks utilized by several area rowboat teams near the Row House at Victory Point were destroyed.
A 40–60 foot gorge was dug out by flooding rains behind the Dunkin’ Donuts located at 1110 East SR-50, Clermont. Initial observations appear to be a failed storm drain that collapsed, allowing waters to travel down the steep embankment that leads to a small pond at the bottom of the hill that is part of the Jacks Lake trio of Lakes.
The John’s Lake system overflowed its banks causing the closure of the public boat ramp located on Lake Boulevard, near the Orange County line on SR-50. The City of Clermont decided on Sunday, October 13th to close the public boat ramp located on Lake Minneola at East Avenue. The closures are believed to be an effort to protect homes that are suffering from rising water damage along the waterways of the chain of lakes. Concerns of floating debris and sunken boats are also potential hazards. The ramp closure will be reevaluated on Friday, October 18th.
Although some county-maintained boat ramps are still open, including the Hull Road ramp, Lake County Emergency Management issued a countywide statement on Sunday, October 13th declaring that “A countywide No-Wake Zone is in effect. All vehicles – including those on roads – should travel at idle speed if they are within 100 feet of a shoreline for all waterbodies in the County. Driving at idle speed will help ensure your car doesn’t push water from flooded roads into nearby homes.”
Emerald Lakes Mobile Home Community, 1401 West SR-50, Clermont, has a long history of flood issues. The park, which was established in the early 1970’s, is an age-restricted (55+) community that enjoys easy and quick access to the chain of lakes. This easy access also allows for easy encroachment of high waters, especially during the Florida summer months that are known for excessive, daily rainfall.
A wet summer that was capped with a hurricane that dumped an estimated 13 inches of rain in a 24-hour period was too much for the already swollen lakes. Water continued to rise on Sunday the 13th to the point that a joint evacuation was coordinated between the City of Clermont’s police and fire departments. Some residents on the Emerald Lakes peninsula waded, with assistance, through waist and knee-deep waters to safety. The City of Clermont provided temporary shelter for the residents until a more definitive approach could be reached.
What is next for the Emerald Lakes Community remains a mystery but one thing for certain is the fact that there will be more wet summers and there will be more tropical systems that move through our community in the future. Lake levels will once again rise while property and lives are once again put into jeopardy. Perhaps it is time to reevaluate our lakefront property development and practices.
As with any storm, there is usually a silver lining, and this storm was no exception. A piece of historic downtown Clermont’s history was revealed among the damage located at 757 West Montrose Street. The façade of the former Hanks Electric business was partially removed by the wind. Due to the potential hazard, the remaining face of the building was removed. During the removal, the hand-painted identity of the former Badcock store was revealed. The Badcock store was located in the 1920’s era building from the mid-1960s through the mid-1970s before moving to a newer and larger location on West SR-50 in Clermont. In 1974, Seldon V. and Ruby G. Hanks purchased the building, along with the adjoining building that once housed Newbold’s 5 & 10 store. The Hanks family occupied the building for several decades before restructuring the business in 2023 and moving to a new location.
The storm has also revealed that in a time with so much division among the community, neighbors will still come together and help each other out. Friends and family will still join forces to assist others who are less fortunate. A related topic that is prominent in the social media world right now is the wake zones on our beautiful chain of lakes. Respect for others goes a long way in hard times when tempers are short, uncertainty is prominent, and hope is hard to grasp. It is true that both sides of the “No Wake” issue have valid points but somewhere in the middle, compromise should prevail over anger and disregard for others property.
Disaster relief resources can be found at www.LakeCountyFl.gov. FEMA Disaster Recovery Center information can be found at www.FEMA.gov/DRC.
