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By KATE BRUMBACK, Associated Press Writer Kate Brumback, Associated
Press Writer – 26 mins ago AUSTELL, Ga. – Authorities in Georgia say they have found another
Southeast storm victim and the death toll is now nine.
Douglas County Coroner Randy Daniel says authorities believe the woman
was swept from her car just west of Atlanta during thunderstorms that
brought several inches of rain to the area. He says family members say the woman was on her way to work after being
called in at 2:30 a.m. Monday. Daniel says the woman was discovered Tuesday. Other storm victims include a 2-year-old boy swept from his father's
arms when a creek ripped open the family's west Georgia mobile home. A
Tennessee man is still missing after he jumped in floodwaters. Officials are warning worried residents to wait for water levels to
recede before returning to their damaged homes. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information.
AP's earlier story is below. AUSTELL, Ga. (AP) — Neighborhoods, schools and even roller coasters at
Six Flags over Georgia were awash in several feet of murky, brown water
Tuesday, and officials warned worried residents to wait for the
floodwaters to recede before checking out their damaged homes. Torrential Southeast rains soaked the area for days, and at least eight
people have died since an onslaught of bad weather began late Sunday. A
Tennessee man was still missing. Washed-out roads and flooded freeways around metro Atlanta caused
commuters headaches and hundreds of residents sought refuge in shelters.
State emergency officials said they were confident those in immediate
danger had been evacuated, but were concerned about residents attempting
to return to their homes too soon. "We had people who were out safely but decided they wanted to get back
in danger," said Charley English, head of Georgia Emergency Management
Agency. Gov. Sonny Perdue asked President Barack Obama to declare a state of
emergency in Georgia and urged residents to stay away from flooded
areas. Officials were beginning to assess the damage and did not provide
a financial estimate. "I want to plead with you to give these waters time to recede," Perdue
said. "Rescuers are putting their lives at risk to try to get someone
out who foolishly drove through rushing waters." The skies were clear and even sunny in parts of Georgia on Tuesday. Most
of the rain eased overnight, but some residents in some areas woke up to
new flooding. In west Atlanta, resident Garrett Nail and several neighbors worked
several hours to clear a tree that had blocked a road to their community. "It was troubling at first. There was no power. We knew people had to
get to work, school, doctor's appointments," said Nail. "We were left
with two options. Help ourselves or wait on the government. We obviously
decided to help ourselves." State climatologist David Stooksbury said the ground was saturated and
unable to absorb the large amounts of water. "It just takes time for that water to work through the system," he said. About 12,000 Georgia Power customers were without power. Scattered
outages were also reported in North Carolina. Over 300 people were being helped at shelters across the Atlanta and
north Georgia region, according to Red Cross officials. One of the largest shelters was at the Cobb County Civic Center, where
Shirley Jones joined others sitting on green cots, chatting about the
fate of their homes. Around them, children played games, oblivious to
the destruction. "When I saw the water rising, it brought back bad memories," said Jones,
who lived in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. The 72-year-old had
moved to the area two months ago. Jones said rescue efforts this time went much more smoothly. A boat
retrieved her from a family member's house. Before being evacuated, Cordell Albert and her husband Christopher moved
their valuables to the second floor of their Powder Springs home. The
couple waded through knee-deep water before a raft picked them up. "I feel lost," she said. "I feel homeless." Seven people have died in Georgia since Sunday night, including a
toddler swept away from his father's arms after a swollen creek ripped
apart their trailer home. The eighth victim, a 22-year-old Alabama man, drowned when a pond's
rain-soaked bank collapsed beneath him. In Chattanooga, Tenn., Sylvester Kitchens, 46, was still missing two
days after betting onlookers he could swim across a flooded ditch next
to his house. Several others who died were motorists whose cars were overtaken or
trapped by fast-rising floodwaters. After several days of steady rain that dropped up to 20 inches in one
place, forecasters said there was a chance of more light showers. Days of downpours and thunderstorms saturated the ground from Alabama
through Georgia into eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, just
months after an epic two-year drought in the region ended following
winter rains. As Tuesday rush-hour began in Atlanta, Interstate 20 west of the city
was closed in two spots by water spilling over the major artery for
suburban commuters. Portions of at least two other freeways in the metro
area were also closed, as was I-75 in Houston County in central Georgia. Hundreds of roads and bridges were under water or washed out, including
17 bridges on state and interstate highways.
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