MT. DORA, Fla. — Carl and Bonnie Kusky slowly made their way out of their hotel Monday evening in a cheerful mood.
The past 18 hours, they said, had been quite the adventure.
Bonnie Kusky recounted how they watched the rain pour down on Mt. Dora Sunday afternoon and evening and thought very little of it as they went to bed.
At 12:30, a sharp knock at their door – followed by a ringing doorbell.
“A fireman said to me, ‘Well, look out in your backyard and you’ll know what we’re dealing with,’ she said.
Her husband piped up.
“We went from a nice little quiet backyard to the Grand Canyon,” he quipped.
The Kuskys and dozens of other Waterman Village residents realized the ground behind their apartments had given way as nearly two feet of rain fell and a nearby water main burst.
The tenants were shepherded into the property’s club house, where they remained for a few hours as staff worked to reserve them hotel rooms.
At approximately 3:30 a.m., the Kuskys and others were directed to the Comfort Inn a few miles away in Tavares.
They were allowed back for an hour Monday to retrieve their belongings – with a warning to stay away from the new cliff out of fear it was unstable.
While some of the residents further from the damage hoped to return to their units on Tuesday, the Kuskys don’t know when, if ever, they’ll be able to go back.
They praised the Waterman staff for their professionalism and eagerness to help the evacuees.
“Part of the experience is we have no idea what’s going to happen from here on,” Carl Kusky said.
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