POWDER SPRINGS - Snow days may be rare in the South, but today, students across Cobb will be relishing a rain day.

Cobb and Marietta City schools decided late Monday to cancel classes today, after days of heavy rainfall washed out bridges and roads around the county. Today, there's a 60 percent chance of more rain in Cobb, though National Weather Service forecasters expect less than half an inch to fall.

In the last week, more than 6.5 inches of rain has fallen in Cobb, according to the National Weather Service. Sunday and Monday have seen the greatest deluges. Between 12:01 a.m. and noon on Monday, county Water Authority personnel recorded 7 inches of rain at its Acworth plant. That came on top of 7 inches of rain that fell there on Sunday, said Glenn Page, general manager of the Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority.

At this time in a "normal" year, Cobb usually has seen about 37 inches of rain. Through 12:01 a.m. Monday, the county had seen more than 42 inches, Page said.

South Cobb was also hurting, with Sweetwater Creek overflowing its banks.

Maurice Winston drove to a neighboring street inside his subdivision on his three-wheeler Monday morning, to see if anyone needed help. He lives just outside Powder Springs in the Worthington Oaks neighborhood, not far from Sun Valley Beach.

"There's a creek behind my back yard, but my house is on a hill," he said. He felt confident his home would be safe, but knew others would not be, which is why he was out looking to help, he said.

"It's just unbelievable, to think some of these people went to work this morning and everything was fine, and now at about 1 p.m. almost their whole first floor is just flooded. I've never seen anything like this."

By mid-day Monday, Cobb County had activated its Emergency Operations Center as a result of the rain's impact on roadways and property. At 3:30 p.m., more than 120 roads and intersections across the county were closed. For updates, go to www.cobbcounty.org.

Late Monday afternoon, Gov. Sonny Perdue issued a state of emergency for 17 Georgia counties, including Cobb.

"State personnel and equipment are being deployed to assist effected communities," Perdue said.

At around 6 p.m., fire rescue crews were in the process of using boats to remove residents in the area of Columns Drive near the Cobb-Fulton County line. At the time, 70 residents there were being evacuated.

Cobb and Marietta City schools canceled after-school Monday activities, and both Kennesaw State and Southern Polytechnic State universities canceled classes and events.

Pope High School, in east Cobb, was surrounded by water at one point, and a driver was rescued from a vehicle, according to county officials.

In west Cobb, Allatoona Creek flowed over several roadways, including at Burnt Hickory Road.

Cobb EMC reported about 2,000 customers were without power in the afternoon.

Early Monday, crews from Marietta Power and Water were working to restore electricity to about 350 residences on Cobb Parkway, north of Allgood Road, caused by a broken pole.

Tom Bell, electrical director for the city utility, was already preparing for the days to come.

"Often when it rains this much, a lot of trees can fall after the rains. If there happens to be a power line in the way, it goes with it," Bell said.

Cobb Fire crews were out before dawn Monday, assisting neighboring Paulding County with water rescues, before the storm moved into this county. About 7:30 a.m., Cobb Fire responded to a house fire on Five Oaks Circle near Powder Springs. The street leading to the house was under water, and by 4 p.m., crews were still unable to reach the house to put out the fire. There were no injuries, Lt. Dan Dupree said.

Dupree said crews were using several types of boats to rescue stranded drivers, and some people from the top stories of their homes. Georgia State Patrol had offered its rescue helicopter, Dupree said, but it had not - yet - been needed.

"If water is covering the street, do not drive into it. It's impossible to tell how deep it is, or whether it has eroded the roadway, so you may think there's solid ground under there and realize you're wrong when it's too late," Dupree warned. "If your car is in water, get out as quickly and safely as possible. Call for help immediately. Get on the roof of the car if you can."

Lake Allatoona was at 841.63 feet, more than a foot above its summer level, at 6 a.m. Monday.

Steve McCoy also lives in the Worthington Oaks neighborhood in Powder Springs and said he helped neighbors, who were unable to swim, escape their house from the submerging water by tossing out boogie boards and pulling them to safety. At his own house, he was moving furniture and other items to the second floor in case the waters crept up to his own house.

"But we have hardwood floors, so even though the furniture's probably safe, there will be damage to the house if the waters come in," McCoy said. "We have homeowners insurance, but I'm not sure we're covered under floods since we're not in a flood area."

The Red Cross has opened a shelter in Cobb County for those displaced by flooding. The shelter is set up located at 548 S. Marietta Pkwy. SE in Marietta. For more information, contact the Red Cross at 404-876-3302. Shelter is being set up to hold 300 people.