Record Toccoa River Flood Submerges Georgia-Tennessee Border Towns

Thunderstorms dropped heavy rain overnight on the twin towns of McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee, sending the Toccoa River to a record high and submerging some buildings to their rooflines on Thursday, according to ABC News. Emergency crews carried out dozens of water rescues, and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared emergencies in four counties.

Officials said no injuries or deaths had been reported as of late Thursday morning, and the water had begun to recede. They warned that floodwaters remained extremely dangerous.

How the flooding unfolded

The storms hit late Wednesday and continued into Thursday morning. ABC News reported that 3 to 5 inches (8 to 13 centimeters) of rain fell in the mountainous area where the river runs between the two towns. The National Weather Service said McCaysville received up to five inches (13cm), triggering life-threatening flash flooding, according to The Guardian.

A river gauge in Copperhill showed the Toccoa reaching 18 feet (5.5 meters) Thursday morning, a record, ABC News reported. That was 2 feet (0.6 meters) above the level at which forecasters call for a catastrophic flood, one that tops bridges, cuts off both towns and requires massive evacuations.

The weather service issued a flash flood warning for the area through mid-morning, calling the situation particularly dangerous and urging people to move to higher ground. It also reminded drivers to turn around rather than cross flooded roads, noting that most flood deaths occur in vehicles.

Rescues and conflicting counts

McCaysville Police Chief Michael Earley told Fox5 Atlanta that water was above rooftops in several places and about 6 to 7 feet high in the downtown business district. He said one of his police cars had floated away. Local media footage showed crews in boats and motorized rafts moving through rushing water on downtown streets.

Reports differ on how many people were rescued. Earley said more than 30 rescues took place overnight, and The Guardian reported that boats had rescued more than 30 people by mid-morning. Robert Poole, a spokesperson for the Fannin County Emergency Management Agency, estimated about 20 rescues, according to ABC News. One local report cited by The Guardian informally put the number of water rescues above 50.

Poole told WSMV early Thursday that crews were searching for a man who had called to say his car had been swept down a creek. He said contact was lost, but responders had an address and were trying to reach him. The outcome was not disclosed in the reports. Poole also said resources were already stretched thin by several structure fires that broke out at once when lightning moved in.

“I’ve never seen flooding like this in my life,” Earley said, according to WSMV.

The official response

Kemp said on X that the emergency declarations in four counties release additional public resources. He said Georgia’s emergency management agency was leading a multi-agency response that used aircraft and boats, along with local counties and Tennessee first responders. Game wardens with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources were helping with search and rescue in Fannin and Murray counties, county officials said.

Copperhill city officials issued evacuation warnings for some residents at 3 a.m. ET Thursday, The Guardian reported.

Why it matters for residents

McCaysville has about 1,000 residents and Copperhill fewer than 500, according to ABC News, so the flooding touched a large share of both communities. Several practical disruptions followed:

• A boil water advisory was issued for McCaysville, according to The Guardian.
• Fannin and Gilmer county schools announced closures Thursday because of hazardous road conditions.
• Roads, low water crossings and underpasses in the area were described by the weather service as life-threatening.

The Fannin County emergency agency urged people not to treat the end of the rain as a sign that the danger had passed. It said conditions can keep worsening after rainfall stops.

What happens next

Poole said calls from stranded people had slowed by late Thursday morning. Responders planned to use a helicopter and possibly drones for an aerial survey to check for anyone who still needed help, he said.

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Around Prague, based on reporting by ABC News, The Guardian