Updated 9/22/2009 8:57:11 AM
USA Today
ATLANTA - Flooding from lines of thunderstorms and rain across Georgia has wreaked havoc on much of Metro Atlanta. At least six lives have been claimed by the storm waters on Monday, including a 2-year-old whose family's mobile home was split apart by a swollen creek in Carroll County.
Two Georgia motorists -- one in Douglas Co., and a second in Gwinnett Co., died when their vehicles were swept off Atlanta-area roads in a deluge that submerged some major highways and prompted flood warnings and school closures. And officials bracing for more rain as a new line of storms threatened the area urged motorists to stay off the roads if they can.
A 2-year-old boy was found dead after being swept away in flood waters in Carrollton.
Carroll County Deputy Coroner Ed Baskin said the boy was found
Monday afternoon downstream of his family's mobile home, which was split apart by a swollen creek. The parents had been rescued as their one-year-old son clung to his mother's arms.
Two other people were reported dead in flood waters in Douglas County -- one woman's body was found in a car in Billy Creek about a mile downstream from the washed out crossing on Banks Mill Road. The second victim, a man, was found near the Douglas-Carroll county border.
Officials in Douglas County also said late Monday afternoon that a family of three was missing in the the same Banks Mill Road area.
The waters also swept away a Tennessee man who went swimming in an overflowing ditch on a dare and disappeared in the fast-moving water.
Crews in northwest Georgia worked furiously with one eye to the sky to shore up a levee that was in danger of failing along the surging Chattooga River. The rising waters forced local officials to evacuate hundreds of residents of the small town of Trion and inmate crews were stocking sandbags along the levee wall to reinforce it.
"It's a grave situation for us," said Lamar Canada, who directs Chattooga County's emergency management agency.
Forecasters issued flood alerts for parts of Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina, Kentucky and Georgia as more rain fell after days of storms that have saturated the ground. As much as 20 inches had fallen in three days in parts of metro Atlanta, leaving soil soggy and trees more vulnerable to falling over.
Gov. Sonny Perdue issued a state of emergency declaration late Monday for Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Crawford, DeKalb, Douglas, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Newton, Paulding, Rockdale, Stephens and Walker counties.
"Mary and I are saddened by the human cost the recent storms have wrought," said Perdue. "We are currently focused on rescuing victims of the storms targeting Georgia and preventing further damage. State personnel and equipment are being deployed to assist effected communities. The Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) is coordinating our response and managing the State Operations Center, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Environmental Protection Division (EPD) are deploying boats, high-water vehicles, and testing water. Other state agencies are deploying manpower and additional resources."
A number of bridges and roads in the affected areas have been closed due to the high water. Motorists are advised to exercise caution on the roads.
Officials have issued a boil water advisory for Paulding and Douglas counties. Residents are advised to bring any water to be used for drinking or cooking to a rolling boil for at least a full minute before using. The advisory is in place until further notice.
Some students and teachers at Austell Primary School were trapped inside and unable to get out Monday evening. They were safe inside the school as of 9 p.m. Monday.
The American Red Cross released a list of shelters Monday evening:
Decatur / DeKalb County
Clairmont Hills Presbyterian Church
1994 Clairmont Road
Lawrenceville / Gwinnett County
First United Methodist Church
395 W. Crogan St.
Marietta / Cobb County
Cobb Civic Center
548 South Marietta Parkway
Woodstock / Cherokee County
Cherokee Recreation and Parks Agency
South Annex
Summerville / Chatooga County
Pentecostal Worship Center
116 Lake Wanda Rieta Rd.
According to Georgia Power, about 8,990 customers across the state are without power as of 5:00a.m. Tuesday. About 8,900 of them are in Metro Atlanta. The only part of the region that avoided power outages is the southern region.
Spokesman Jeff Wilson said up to 50,000 had been without power in the past 24 hours. The main problem for power company crews has been trees that were weakened by the rain and took out power lines as they fell.
Late Monday night, GDOT officials said they had closed Interstate 285 on the west side of Atlanta where it crosses the Chattahoochee River. Northbound traffic was being diverted at Hollowell Parkway, while southbound traffic was being taken off at South Cobb Drive. Motorists were advised to avoid the area.
