A home on Rozella Street is razed. The city is using federal flood funds to buy and level damaged homes. JONATHAN ERNST/STAFF

But on Friday afternoon, a federal flood grant felled two of the area's more dilapidated structures, marking the first of four demolitions scheduled to take place during the next week.

``I'm glad to see it go,'' said Roy Patch, a Rozella Street resident who lives across the street from an abandoned pink brick house demolished Friday. ``I've been looking at it like it is for two years.''

Residents say the neighborhood's abandonment has slowly increased since Regency Mall was built in the 1970s, causing the waters of nearby Rocky Creek to swell from its banks and into their living rooms.

And the Hollywood subdivision homes that were leveled Friday are among eight being bought out citywide by a grant program administered through the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the local EMA. Flood-damaged properties are selected based on a 10-year history of flood insurance claims and are included in the program on a voluntary basis.

Through the program, the city agreed more than a year ago to spend $200,000 for the home buyouts, and the federal government matched that promise with about $600,000.

The two homes demolished Friday were at 1925 Rozella St. and 1903 Farris St. Once bought and torn down, the properties become owned by the city.

``If you tear down the building, more ground should be open for water to sink into,'' said local EMA Director Dave Dlugolenski. ``Also, there's no more pain and suffering for the people living in them.''

Last month, the local Emergency Management Agency received approval from FEMA to buy out four additional homes using the same grant. One of the four newly added homes also is on Rozella Street. The others are located on Avery Drive, Golden Camp Road and Wrightsboro Road.

``I'd like to come in here and work on this whole area,'' Mr. Dlugolenski said Friday as a large crane called an excavator tore into the roof off a Hollywood home. ``We could really help.''

Reach Heidi Coryell at (706) 823-3215.