AUSTELL - A large, angry crowd swarmed Cobb officials at a meeting Wednesday night that was conducted by the county to discuss rebuilding after last month's record flood.

Officials from Cobb's Community Development and Storm Water Management departments fielded questions from hundreds of residents inside the fire station at the South Cobb Government Complex in Austell.

Many complained that they can't get county officials to answer if their home is salvageable.

Fewer than half of the 1,500 homes damaged by flooding in the county have been cleared for rebuild or repair. A majority of homeowners who have been given the green light live in unincorporated Cobb. Officials presented a list of homes that were more than 50 percent damaged by the flooding. Unincorporated Cobb had 708 homes that were damaged, and 572 of them have been given the go-ahead for rebuild or repair, county spokesman Robert Quigley said.

"If a home is declared uninhabitable, the property owner or mortgage company can still repair, rebuild or tear the home down. If the home has damage equal to 50 percent of its value, then the property owner will have to meet county codes such as raising the new home three feet above the 100 year flood level," Quigley said.

But Austell resident Ken Hawkins said the rules are changing every day for residents who want to rebuild.

"You're changing every day the rules for building permits. It changes by the hour. We can't get answers and don't know what to do. Someone behind me gets a building permit, and I go to get mine the next day and the rules have changed. Now you've got to have the storm team assess. Cobb County has spent three, four weeks on this. You all need to get your act together," he said.

The county could buy the properties in the future, which officials discussed briefly.

"If at some point down the road we receive money to purchase high flood risk homes, then the county could buy the property and then tear a home down in order to return the property to a natural state," Quigley said.

Chris Payne, who lives off Stovall Road in Austell, said his home shifted 80 feet in the flooding. He said the flood lines are in accurate and wants them re-evaluated.

"In 2005, they said Sweetwater (Creek) crested at 28 feet above my water mark. That would have put a foot and a half of water in my house. It was at seven foot six. This time, they said Sweetwater crested at 31 foot. That would have been 10 feet of water in my house. My house was 18 feet deep. Explain that flood line," he said. "2005, I had to rebuild my damn house out of my own pocket. I watched my house wash 80 feet off its foundation and you're telling me the floodplain lines are correct? I don't think so. I've been in construction for 30 years and I shot grade on my house the day the waters crested and two days ago. The floodplain lines were over 20 feet off."

Kathryn Faison, who lives in the Cypress Club subdivision in the city of Austell, said she just wants out of Cobb.

"I've only owned my house for two months. I've talked to the (Austell) mayor and he clearly said the Cypress Club subdivision, we should not rebuild. All I have is a roof to my house. When I called you, nobody can give me a piece of paper to say that I cannot rebuild, so that I can move and me and my baby can have quality of life. You are holding me up," she said.

Faison said she doesn't want to rebuild her home.

"I don't want to elevate because my house was gone in 20 freaking minutes. It wasn't the dang rain. It was coming up from the sewer. So you give me my piece of paper so my baby and me can move on. I am tired of staying in a hotel. That's not my quality of life, just like it's nobody else's," she said. "Bottom line - my name better be on that list that it cannot be rebuilt because there is no roof, no door. I am tired. I need an answer today."

Many city of Austell residents attended the meeting, and some became enraged when they found out the county has no jurisdiction over the city's residences. Austell Mayor Joe Jerkins was not at the meeting, but said by phone that 696 homes were damaged in his city. More than 400 of those homes have been evaluated, but Jerkins won't know until next week how many of those will face reconstruction.

Within an hour, people began to walk out of the meeting.

"This meeting is unacceptable. This is not a forum. It is unacceptable for us to be herded into this like cattle," Austell resident Valora Flukers said of the packed firehouse. "We can't hear your answers. This is shameful."

Quigley said the county officials would use information gathered Wednesday night to move forward in the recovery process.

So far, Cobb has spent approximately $350,000 on debris removal, said Lanita Lloyd, deputy director of the Cobb Emergency Management Agency.

Residents across Georgia who were affected by September flooding have received more than $61.5 million in disaster grants and low-interest loan approvals since the major disaster declaration on Sept. 24, according to the latest update from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Powder Springs Mayor Pat Vaughn did not return phone calls by press time. Powder Springs reported the flood damaged 100 homes there.