CHARLTON COUNTY, Fla. -- Days after the rains of Tropical Storm Fay moved west and then north across the United States, the St. Marys River crested nearly 10 feet over its flood stage, sending water into at least 17 homes.

The river crested at more than 20 feet -- more than 8 feet above flood stage. The National Weather Service says it could take another few days without significant rainfall for the river to return to normal.

More than a dozen families in Charlton County are out of their homes on Thursday, and at least that many more were cleaning up homes that flooded.

Charlton County Emergency Operations Director Bo Monroe told Channel 4 that one family is homeless but lucky to be alive after a tree smashed their mobile home in Homeland, near Folkston.

Brian Lloyd heard the tree cracking the other day, and rushed to move his wife and baby out of the way. While his family was not injured, Lloyd he suffered shoulder injuries.

Charlton County got about 15 inches of rain last week, many roads are still closed and many homes along the St. Marys River remain unlivable.

"We have about 15 homes still affected -- some insured, some uninsured -- and we do have two mobile homes that I know were 100 percent damaged. The water was 8 feet up in one house and 5 feet up in another home," said Charlton County MA Director Monroe Todd.

In Nassau County, where a few days ago navigating some streets required a watercraft, many residents have begun to return to their homes and to assess the damage the flooding has done.

Homeowner Logan Miano returned to his Callahan home for the first time since Fay on Thursday. He said he was relieved because his home was not hit as hard as some of his neighbors.

"It always floods in our yard because it's the lowest point of the neighborhood, but it's never gotten so bad that it covered the whole street," Miano said.

As families continue to deal with the flooding, Charlton officials said residents should be wary of standing water around their home and to keep an out for any snakes or other animals that might have gotten into the home during the storm.