ATLANTA -- Georgia residents returning to homes soaked by days of torrential rains are being warned of disease-causing bacteria and jagged debris harbored by stagnant, murky water.

Standing water up to several feet deep was still pooled Wednesday in some neighborhoods when some metro Atlanta flood victims got first looks at their flooded-out homes.

The Woodwards, whose house on Doe Lane Road in Powder Springs was under water earlier this week, came back to find their house and possessions waterlogged. Other possessions vanished.

"I had three four-wheelers that floated away and a brand new lawn mower in there that isn't anymore," said Darin Woodward.

When firefighters arrived at their door Monday, the Woodwards had 10 minutes to gather as much as they could and get out before flood waters arrived.

"I went in and yanked out the hard drive, so we hopefully have a lot of pictures. But other than that, we're hopefully taking some clothing to a dry cleaners and getting a little bit of that cleaned," Woodward said.

Miraculously, his wife Dara found her wedding ring on a window sill.

"It was on my microwave and the microwave stand was flipped over, so I was kinda looking, and there it was on the sill, so I got it," Dara Woodward said.

CBS Atlanta also talked with another family who lost everything. Read their heartbreaking story here.

The rain and floods killed nine Georgians and an Alabama man.

In Caroll County, Preston Slade Crawford, 2, of Carrollton, drowned after being swept from his father's arms when a surging creek ripped apart the family's mobile home early Monday.

In Chattooga County, Nicholas Osley, 14, of Chattooga, drowned in the rain-swollen Chattooga River.

In Douglas County, Donald Warlow, 50, Kevin Hodges, 29, Kelley Smith, 29, Delina Weathers, 26, Emeteria Howe, and Richard Butler all drowned after cars were swept off roadway.

In Gwinnett County, Seydi Burciaga, 39, of Lawrenceville, drowned after her car swept off road. She was on he way home from work.

In Etowah County, Ala., James Dale Leigh, 22, of Sand Valley, drowned when a pond's rain-soaked bank collapsed beneath him.

A Tennessee man is still missing after he jumped in flood waters. Sylvester Kitchens, 46, is still missing two days after betting onlookers he could swim across a flooded ditch next to his house.

Interstate 20 through Douglas and Cobb counties reopened to traffic on Wednesday.

Douglas County 911 has been receiving several non emergency direction requests that have been tying up emergency lines.

For directions for Douglas County residents and people traveling through Douglas County, please call 770-920-7484. For other locations please dial 511.

Meanwhile, Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine said Tuesday that the damage caused by the flooding is estimated at $250 million.

For more information on where you can get flood insurance, click on this story.

Also Tuesday, Gov. Sonny Perdue asked for federal aid after declaring a state of emergency in 17 counties on Monday because of massive flooding.

"I am confident President Obama will recognize the extensive damage these floods have caused on such a large metro area," Perdue said. "This request for disaster funding is essential for the recovery and rebuilding process to begin for these Georgians, local governments and businesses."

Perdue issued the disaster declarations Monday evening after viewing storm damage in Douglas and Paulding counties from the air.

The counties affected are Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Crawford, DeKalb, Douglas, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Newton, Paulding, Rockdale, Stephens and Walker.

The governor said he hopes for a decision by the end of Tuesday and is expecting "some level of federal reimbursement" as the cash-strapped state grapples with the emergency. He said the state "will do everything in its power, both physically and fiscally" to help flood victims.

Georgia emergency officials said they were confident those in immediate danger had been evacuated, but were concerned about residents attempting to return to their homes too soon.

"We had people who were out safely but decided they wanted to get back in danger," said Charley English, head of Georgia Emergency Management Agency.

The skies were clear and even sunny in parts of Georgia on Tuesday. Most of the rain eased overnight, but some residents in some areas woke up to new flooding.

In west Atlanta, resident Garrett Nail and several neighbors worked several hours to clear a tree that had blocked a road to their community.

"It was troubling at first. There was no power. We knew people had to get to work, school, doctor's appointments," said Nail. "We were left with two options. Help ourselves or wait on the government. We obviously decided to help ourselves."

Hundreds of people were being helped at shelters across the Atlanta and north Georgia region, according to Red Cross officials.

Days of downpours and thunderstorms saturated the ground from Alabama through Georgia into eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina, just months after an epic two-year drought in the region ended following winter rains.