Rain Floods Streets, Collapses Roof

Cartersville was hit hard with heavy rain that swept across the area early this evening.

According to WBHF — AM 1450, a portion of the roof collapsed at plastic resine recycler — the old Glad manufacturing facility — in Cartersville. Two people were taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries and millions of dollars in inventory was lost.

In addition to stifled traffic along major thoroughfares, water also piled up on city streets prone to flooding, trapping at least one car at Leake and Gilmer streets, according to the radio station.

Two intersections were closed for a short time due to flooding — Leake and Erwin streets and Puckett and Stonewall streets, WBHF — AM 1450 reported. Other areas, including Wall Street, Old Mill Road and West Avenue also flooded.

As a result of an estimated 3 inches of rainfall in about 45 minutes, several businesses flooded, the radio station reported. The city's Electric Department also saw problems, with six outages reported due to downed tree limbs and lightning.

Flooding is not a new problem in those areas of town, as officials have for some time wrestled with the effects of downpours that seem to stretch the city's drainage system, as reported by . Last year in July, several homes and businesses flooded in a heavier downpour. City officials said debris in railroad ditches, which serve as portions of the drainage system, contributed to the problem.

Also this month last year, fell victim to a partial roof collapse that closed the store for months, the newspaper reported. No one was injured in that late-night incident, but flooding of nearly all of the store required extensive rebuild and repair.