A damp Labor Day holiday, a day to let summer wind down and do some cooking and relax, turned into a nightmare in a matter of minutes for an estimated 60 tenants of the Dean Estates apartment complex on Oaklawn Avenue. They weren’t alone. The early afternoon torrential rains also flooded out homes on Garden Street.

“The flooding yesterday [Monday] was the worst ever,” said Linda Dugan, Garden Street resident. “It was worse than 2005.”

Dugan and residents along Garden Street have been experiencing serious flooding that occurs during flash flood events. A storm drainage system that runs through city property on the street cannot handle the large amounts of water forced to flow through during flash flooding events such as Monday afternoon and evening.

“The water was up over my hips,” she said. “My entire wall was under water. My basement was flooded. My garage was half-full of water and my car flooded, too.”

According to the U.S. Weather Service, 2.8 inches of rain was recorded at Green Airport for Monday.

The Dugans ran two pumps in their basement and still were unable to keep up with the water.

“We called police and fire,” Dugan said. “We were told we were on a waiting list. Thank God the second pump began working.”

The water came flooding in just before 1 p.m., according to Dugan, and didn’t recede until after 8. A seven-hour event caused frustration and angst for the family who were planning a celebration.

“My son was crying. My dad was upset. My husband and I were dealing with the flooding and trying to save our home. It was overwhelming. We are really devastated by it,” she said. “It was my birthday.”

The increase in flash flooding has caused a continual flow of unrest for the Dugans and others along Garden and Lorenz streets.

“There were cars up on people’s lawns. It’s beyond anything I have seen in my lifetime. It was a really bad day. My dad came with sandbags. He sold us the house. He feels terrible,” she said.

“It was like Niagara Falls,” said one woman sitting beneath the open hatch of her van and pointing to the 10-foot high retaining wall on the other side of Oaklawn Avenue. Around her was little evidence of what happened Monday shortly after 1 p.m. That is, unless you looked closely.

Yellow caution tape that once ringed the most northerly of the four-building complex was ripped from its posts. The screens of lower level units were filled with grass and other debris carried by the rushing waters and water gushed from a pair of hoses extending into the complex. Dirt-stained cars hadn’t been moved from where they had been submerged. A pair of workmen cut plywood to block windows and doors from the back of a utility truck.

The woman, who asked not to be identified, went on with her story. She said she heard the water and the bang as sliding glass windows were pushed in by the sudden deluge.

“You felt like you were on the Titanic,” she said.

She said the water was rising so quickly that there was no time to think about removing anything. The aim was to get to higher ground and to get others in the unit there, too. Everyone made it.

A 20-year resident in the complex, the woman said flooding has been a problem in the past, the most recent occasion being this July 11 when half of the parking lot was under water. She said this is the worst she has seen in all her years at the complex.

Connie Collins, who sat beside her, agreed. A 21-year tenant at Dean Estates, Collins said tenants are like one big family. They know each other and they look out for one another. Collins lives on the second floor and welcomed those being forced to evacuate the first floor into her unit. Collins lost her car to the flash flood, but she didn’t seem too worried.

On her mind and the minds of about a dozen other displaced tenants was what was going to happen to them now. Where would they be spending the night? When could they get back in to salvage what they could from their apartments?

The complex consists of four buildings of 12 units each. The owner is listed on the apartment website as Universal Properties, LLC.

A man who answered a Massachusetts listing for the company Tuesday afternoon said he didn’t have time to talk as he was rushing out to help get tenants into their units.

City officials were working with the Red Cross and local social services agencies to provide for displaced residents.

“The Red Cross has already provided shelter for some families,” said Carlos Lopez. “CCAP [Comprehensive Community Action Program] is working to provide services for the residents who were displaced. Some residents, on the lower floor lost everything,” he said.

In a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Mayor Allan Fung assured residents that the city was working to assist those in need.

“The property owner indicated last night that he was working to find residents shelter,” said the mayor. “We are trying to help not only the residents, but the building owners. Our goal is to get people back into their homes as quickly as possible.”

Director of Public Works Kenneth Mason addressed the root of the problem.

“This is a highly interconnected system,” said Mason. ”Just the hills to the east of Oaklawn Avenue feeding down.”

“It was Mother Nature,” said the mayor. “Having that much water coming in such a short time period into that system that really resulted in this. This is the first time in our collective memory that that area has been affected.”

Flooding in the area has historically occurred more north toward the rotary.

Several residents were transported off of the property by boat.

“There were approximately 30 people transported by boat,” said Fire Chief William M. McKenna. “There were some scrapes and bruises and one firefighter hurt his knee.”

One resident was transported for medical reasons unrelated to the flooding.

Elizabeth McDonald, Sr., director for Emergency Services with the Red Cross, was working with CCAP and social service agencies to shelter and provide for displaced residents.

“We helped 50 people last night, 16 families,” she said. “Some people needed sheltering and some who had friends and family needed other services, such as food and clothing.”

The Red Cross sheltered six families on Monday night in a local hotel and was working to provide continued housing for those in need.

The city considered opening an emergency shelter to house residents, but due to the low numbers of those in need of immediate housing, chose to work with social services and the property owner instead.

“There were less than 10 people in need of shelter,” said Carlos Lopez, chief of staff to Mayor Fung. “We are working with CCAP and the Red Cross to provide for them.”

One of those looking for answers at the scene Tuesday afternoon was a woman in a black outfit, her white hair pulled back and her freshly applied lipstick making her look like she was ready for her television debut. But she shunned the cameras and reporters. She didn’t want her named used.

She moved into the complex with her husband less than a week earlier. Everything was set up the way she wanted it. She had even gone to the effort of brightening up the place with some painting and picking up cigarette butts she found outside.

“This home was beautiful,” she said.

Fortunately, her unit is on the second floor, so she was spared the flooding. She said she returned from a trip to Wal-Mart Monday afternoon to find Oaklawn Avenue submerged and people in boats where the street had been.

She said she had planned to move into the complex “temporarily” while they considered their options. She just didn’t expect it would be so temporary. She had family ready to take her in.

Others wondered what they would do.

“Right now, I’m homeless,” said a woman in a group that had formed around Casey Medas, property manager. Medas chose his words carefully, saying the only thing he could relate with any certainty is that the mayor would be holding a press conference later that afternoon. He promised to get back to everyone as soon as he had information.