SMYRNA, Ga. — A 5-year-old was playing outside of her Smyrna home in the Coopers Creek neighborhood.
"I have Uno cards," Sarai said -- a girl who likes to play games.
She looked at three of them on the front porch of her home.
"They floated outside," she said, explaining why her cards were scattered.
Sarai explained there was a lot of rain at her home on Tuesday night.
"And I heard some thunder, and I got under the covers," she said. "Yeah, I don’t like thunder."
Sarai's grandmother, Robyn Draughter, said in a matter of minutes, water was rushing into their home. Now she's wondering how they were dealt this hand.
"It was just pouring through the door," Draughter said.
Draughter and Peter Johnson, who also lives in the home, said, at its height, there was about 5 feet of water inside.
"This filled up just like you pour water in a bowl," Johnson said, pointing at the cul-de-sac he lives on. "That’s how fast it filled up."
Draughter said the water destroyed the bottom floor of her home. She took us inside and showed 11Alive the damage, saying water pushed furniture and the freezer all over the home.
"I can’t walk. I can't help myself. I can’t even climb over that furniture. That's it," said Johnson, tearing up and turning away, unable to keep talking.
Cobb County explained the area got hit by a lot of rain in a short amount of time, clogging a culvert with debris.
"There’s a car down there, there’s a gazebo down there, and there’s a bunch of trees and debris. That went and hit that culvert down on this road where there’s two 70-inch drain lines, collapsed one of them or both of them and then completely clogged up the drainage system," said Ross Cavitt, the communications director for the county.
In total, there were 13 buildings impacted by the flooding, five of which are considered to have suffered major damage. Those who have been displaced have opted to stay with family or friends, Cavitt said. Cobb County Department of Transportation has called in contractors to help clear debris caused by the flooding and ultimately begin repairs.
As far as the clogged culvert pipes, Cavitt said emergency management and Cobb Fire worked with homeowners in the area to unclog the drain pipes with the anticipation of more rain coming. Residents were told to move their vehicles out of the cul-de-sac in case the area flooded again.