AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – Augusta’s EMA office is telling residents in low lying areas to stay vigilant, and that would include those on Virginia Avenue near Butler High school where flooding in June causes a lot of damage.

Virginia Avenue is in a low lying area and prone to flooding, and that was the case back in June when thunderstorms caused the creek that flows through the neighborhood to overflow.

With the rain from Idalia, residents here are on pins and needles

“I was then trapped for 19 hours until the city came out and sucked the water out of my yard to get me out of my house so I could make it to my car, and if this storm is going to be worse than that, I’m scared. I’m petrified. I don’t know how much more we’re going to get,” said Douglas Bailey.

Augusta’s EMA office says before the storm, city engineers went into Rocky Creel in a canoe to make sure the creek was free of debris so all this rain could flow away.