Little relief for flooded areas in Ga.

ATLANTA, Sept. 22 (UPI) -- An end to the rain that has drenched the Atlanta region for days brought little relief Tuesday to residents struggling with flooded roads and houses.

Laura Griffith, a National Weather Service forecaster, told CNN flood warnings were in place through Saturday.

The flooding has claimed eight lives in Georgia, CNN reported, while a ninth person is missing in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Many of the deaths occurred in areas where roadways were suddenly inundated by swollen rivers. A teenage boy was swept away as he tried to reach a stranded car but it turned out the driver had already been rescued.

Gov. Sonny Perdue told residents to stay away from flooded homes and off any roads with water on them.

"Stuff is important but it's not nearly as important as your life," Perdue said. "Please give these waters time to recede."

In the Atlanta area, flooding at a sewage treatment plant sent raw sewage into the Chattahoochee River, The New York Times reported.

Perdue Monday declared a state of emergency for 17 counties hardest hit by flooding. He said he planned to ask President Barack Obama to declare a federal emergency in Georgia.

Among the dead was a 2-year-old girl who was torn from her father's arms by rushing floodwater as he tried to cling to bushes, CNN reported.