Chickamauga Flooding Near Record Level

It may take months to get an overall damage estimate, but the flood stricken residents of north Georgia are trying to clean up and take stock now that the flood waters have receded.

Some residents who lost their homes and possessions are wondering what to do next.

Where floodwaters reached a depth of 7 feet just yesterday....the people of Lee street in Chickamauga slowly dig out.

BARBARA SLAYTON, HOME WAS FLOODED "We came back in yesterday and started trying to salvage..so far we haven't found too much that's any good."

JARRETT ATKINS, HAS FLOOD DAMAGE "I'm trying to replace the water heater...and what damage it did to the basement..I lost a car that was in here..completely submerged".

It was not by any means your annual yearly rainfall run-off.

JOHN CULPEPPER, CHICKAMAUGA CITY MANAGER "I haven't had time to measure, but I think we're close to the 100 year flood."

Local, state and national agencies saw this coming years ago and tried to lessen the damage.

JOHN CULPEPPER "In the early 1990's we raised 55 houses that were subject to flooding in the mill village area..they were all raised to one foot above the 100 year flood."

Most of those homes had minimum damage...but many residents at the time refused to go along with the idea. They suffered the most damage.

Cullpepper says it was actually two floods...a flash flood on Monday..and then creeks backing up by Tuesday.

It was that second blow that devastated the Lee and Gordon's Mill..sitting next to Chickamauga Creek.

BOB HUNNYCUTT, VETERAN'S MUSEUM FOUNDER "The museum did not get harmed in any way...but the mill down here...it was a total disaster down here."

Water was 5 feet deep inside yesterday.

City workers were joined by inmates from Walker State Prison and volunteers in cleaning up the 177 year old grist mill. That may take days.

Some we spoke with whose homes were damaged, said they could not get flood insurance.

They told us even if they were eligible, they couldn't afford it.