Thirty to 40 rescues as catastrophic flooding leads to closure of cities in Georgia, Tennessee
Rising water cuts off towns
Overnight rainfall of 6 to 9 inches caused the Ocoee River to surge through McCaysville and Copperhill. The river reached a record 18.05 feet, while downtown Copperhill streets were flooded shortly after 2 a.m. Thursday.
Both bridges connecting the towns were overtopped and closed, cutting off transportation between them. Shelters opened at Copperhill City Hall and McCaysville City Hall, according to the city.
Evacuations and rescue work
McCaysville declared a state of emergency and closed until further notice. Police Chief Michael Earley urged people to stay away and not bypass barricades or disrupt emergency operations.
Earley said crews had completed at least 30 to 40 rescues and were still checking homes, with some areas inaccessible. Some residents were rescued from rooftops, and responders were trying to reach a 90-year-old woman stranded on her kitchen table. A Blackhawk helicopter was also surveying the area for people needing rescue.
A few people were taken to the hospital, but officials reported no major injuries. Vehicles, debris and a police car were carried by the floodwaters, Earley said.
Damage and essential service outages
Government buildings, shops and homes were lost in the flooding, according to Earley. McCaysville also lost cell phone service, power and operation of its water plant. The McCaysville Water System is under a boil water advisory until further notice, the Fannin County Emergency Management Agency said.
River levels and warnings
A flash flood emergency was declared at 4 a.m. Thursday in Polk County, in southeastern Tennessee. A considerable flash flood warning was issued for multiple counties in north-central Georgia.
The river entered major flood stage, level 3 of 3, at 3:30 a.m. It rose from 4 feet at 10:30 p.m. to 16 feet at 4:30 a.m. and 18 feet at 6 a.m.; Earley said around 8 a.m. that it had fallen three feet in the previous hour.
The previous record crest was 17.8 feet on Feb. 16, 1990. The river is usually around 2.5 feet on a normal day.
Key points
- McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee, closed amid catastrophic flooding.
- The Ocoee River reached a record height of 18.05 feet after heavy overnight rain.
- At least 30 to 40 rescues were reported, with emergency searches continuing.
- McCaysville reported outages and issued a boil water advisory until further notice.