CHARLOTTE -- What was left of Tropical Storm Fay caused significant problems around the Charlotte region Wednesday, as dozens of major roads were closed, homes were flooded and evacuation shelters were set up throughout Mecklenburg and Cabarrus counties.

Before dawn, emergency crews had to evacuate dozens of people from the Doral Cavalier Apartments off Monroe Road after floodwaters approached on the building. Some in the complex said they did not realize they had to evacuate this morning when they received an evacuation notice and went back to bed – they were left to walk through waist-deep water to eventually leave.

“I just lost everything,” said evacuated resident David Brown. “I had a lot of my old work stuff, electronics … I just went through a loss about six months ago and lost everything before, so it just happened again.”

Animal Care and Control were on the scene to help the animals left behind by the hundreds of people who evacuated the building and had to leave their pets behind. They have also set up a location at East Mecklenburg High School.

“We’re headed back across right now to try and get some valuables and animals and try to get out of there,” said resident and evacuee Kenny Shonk.

Officials said the complex was closed and secured after 7 p.m. Wednesday. Residents will be allowed to reside in their apartments beginning Thursday at 9 a.m. barring any further flooding.

East Mecklenburg High School was home to some 68 evacuees while school was still in session and that number was expected to grow overnight.

In the Eastover community, floodwaters covered roads and approached a Charlotte museum as Brier Creek left its banks and came into neighborhoods – causing rescues and evacuations. The swift water team went door-to-door to ask residents if they needed help.

“It was a little bit of a surprise,” said resident Charles Pitts. “A little bit after 6 a.m. we came out and saw cars flooded and thought we best just leave them alone and see how high the water got.”

The National Weather Service recorded more than eight inches of rain in Charlotte since Tuesday.

Emergency management officials held a press conference Wednesday afternoon, saying that no injuries have been reported despite all the incidents around the region.

“We had a 100-year storm in 1995, we had a 100-year storm in 1997, and with the volume of rain that we received today and the timeframe, we’re probably looking at another 100-year flooding,” said Wayne Broome, Mecklenburg County emergency management director.

CMPD responded to 48 accidents during the 5 to 9 a.m. time period – three times the normal amount of calls for that time. Charlotte Fire Department officials say they were involved in 35 rescues. It is estimated that some 100 homes were either damaged or destroyed.

Some nursing homes in Kannapolis and Salisbury also had to be evacuated due to the flooding.

While Cabarrus County residents are used to certain roads flooding during heavy rain events, the extreme amount of precipitation that fell Tuesday afternoon prompted a county commissioner to declare a state of emergency.

Gov. Mike Easley will arrive Thursday to access the damage and hold a news conference.

That's after Harrisburg's College Downs, Middleton and Harrisburg Estates neighborhoods were evacuated, and one family on Kings Drive had to be rescued from their home by the fire department on a raft.

Diana Epling, a resident of College Park, was dealing with the devastation after her home was flooded.

"There's no peace of mind, because there's rain on the way," Epling said.

Other residents said the state of emergency declaration was little consolation.

"I'm really up in the air about that," resident Mary Carmody said. "It's good to know they've acknowledged it, but as far as what they're going to do, I guess the future remains to be seen."

Around 7:30 a.m. the swift water rescue team was called out to save a woman who was stranded on top of her car while trying to cross a flooded bridge. The county has had extra patrols out around the area to check for other people in need.

“It almost seemed surreal, it happened in such a short period of time,” said flood victim Heidi Garcia. "I never thought we'd be the ones trying to lift up as much as we could and get it as high up as we could in the house and grab whatever bags we could to throw stuff in."

Two mobile home parks, one on German Drive and one on Country View Road, are closed. Residents in the Timber Forest subdivision on Leatherwood Lane at Boulder Creek received a reverse 911 call alerting them to evacuate the neighborhood. Kannapolis Village, a nursing home, was also evacuated.

Cabarrus County Schools and parks are closed Wednesday and Kannapolis City Schools were on a two-hour delay.

Shelters were opened at the Cannon Memorial YMCA in Kannapolis and at Concord Fire Stations Nos. 3, 7 and 8. Also, the Red Cross set up shelters at the Harrisburg United Methodist Church, and they say they can accept pets if need be. They will provide meals, but people need to bring medicine, some clothes and any pillows and blankets that may make the stay more comfortable.

The lingering flood water throughout the area has local health departments reminding people of the potential risks involved.

Because the floodwaters are so diluted, health leaders said it doesn’t pose a serious disease threat. However, people could still come into contact with oil, garbage and other items underwater.

Health officials urge anyone who has gone into the water to shower off soon after getting out. They also say if floodwaters get inside your home, you need to replace your carpeting.

"If you have hard surfaces like wood or concrete, those can be disinfected with a 10 percent solution of bleach, but the other things need to be discarded because you run into problems like mold and mildew and those can become health concerns on down the road,” said Dr. Stephen Keener.

Health officials also remind people to report any bites or scratches if people come into contact with animals in the flood water.

Statewide Fay impact

View Larger Map