Created: 9/23/2009 6:08:24 AM 
ATLANTA -- Gov. Sonny Perdue is asking President Barack Obama for an emergency disaster declaration to help residents struggling with flooded property after this week's epic floods.
Perdue said in a morning address that he hopes for an answer from the White House by the end of the day on Wednesday.
The governor urged residents to stay away from flooded areas in West Metro as crews work in the innundated areas.
Most school systems in Metro Atlanta were closed Tuesday due to the hazardous road conditions and flooded areas. Douglas schools have announced Wednesday closings as it deals with ongoing water problems.
The Georgia death toll in the storms and floods has gone up to nine, including a 2-year-old boy, swept away when his family's Carrollton mobile home was ripped apart by rushing flood waters, and a 15-year-old boy found Tuesday morning in the Chattooga River. In addition to the Georgia deaths, one death was reported in Alabama.
Paulding County, Douglas County and the city of Carrollton remain under a boil advisory. Residents are advised to boil any water used for drinking or cooking before using it. Bring water to a rolling boil for at least a full minute before using it for other purposes.
More than 300 people are in state shelters that have been opened for displaced residents. Most of them are at the Cobb County Civic Center in Marietta.
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GDOT officials said late Tuesday afternoon that the last of their official detours to Interstate 20 -- Ga. 70, Ga. 92 and Ga. 166 are all now closed at the Chattahoochee River. They said that water had subsided on some routes, and then crested again.
Transportation officials said they have no choice but to tell motorists in those areas that they venture out at their own peril.
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Officials said Tuesday evening that Sweetwater Creek crested at a record level of 30.17 feet on Tuesday afternoon. The prior record of 21.81 feet was reached on July 12, 2005.
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At 9 p.m., GDOT officials reopened I-285 on the west side of Atlanta between Hollowell Parkway and I-75, restoring one major highway that had been blocked by high water.
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Douglas County officials announced that the county emergency management office would be distributing bottled water on Wednesday to residents who do not have treated water.
Two centers are set to open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (or until supplies run out): Douglasville First United Methodist Church at 6167 Priestley Mill Rd., at Hospital Drive; and Prays Mill Baptist Church, at 4979 Georgia Highway 5, at Banks Mill Road.
These will be drive-through centers, where cases of water will be placed in the resident's car.
