Thunderstorms brought record flooding overnight to the twin towns of McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee, submerging some buildings to their rooflines and prompting the rescue of dozens of people before the waters began receding Thursday afternoon.
The adjoining mountain towns, a scenic railroad destination for visitors, were already recovering from an August flood that damaged McCaysville's downtown, including the police station, which reopened only last week.
As much as 8 to 10 inches (20 to 25 centimeters) of rain fell overnight between the north Georgia towns of Blue Ridge and Ellijay, and runoff from uncontrolled streams swelled the rivers below, according to the Tennessee Valley Authority. The Toccoa River reached a record high Thursday morning of 18 feet (5.5 meters) at a gauge in Copperhill, where fewer than 500 people live across from McCaysville, home to about 1,000. Copperhill officials urged people to take shelter in either town's City Hall as the river reached 2 feet (0.6 meters) above the level forecasters consider "catastrophic."
Emergency responders rescued at least 57 people by swift water teams, according to the Fannin County Emergency Management Agency in Georgia, while the Tennessee Emergency Management Authority said it had coordinated 68 rescues. Crews in red boats and motorized rafts navigated deep, rushing water flowing over downtown streets, went house to house, and searched overhead with a helicopter and drones. One firefighter suffered a minor injury and a few residents were treated for suspected hypothermia and shock, but McCaysville Police Chief Michael Earley said "from what we could tell, everybody looked to be OK."
The flooding shut down the McCaysville water treatment plant, prompting a boil water advisory, and put the city's dump trucks and heavy equipment out of reach. Cellphone and power outages complicated the response, Earley said. "I have one of my police cars that's floating down the river right now. Don't know where it's at, but it's somewhere down there," he told Fox5 Atlanta early Thursday.
Hugh Rogers, who has owned McCaysville Drug & Gun since 1997, said water inside the store was about 4 or 5 feet (1.2 or 1.5 meters) deep when he arrived Thursday morning, knocking over shelves and destroying about $200,000 or $300,000 worth of inventory. "It's a little bit heartbreaking," he said, adding that family, friends and coworkers planned to "come out strong" on Friday to help clean up. "It's been our livelihood for 30 years, so we're going to do what we can to keep it going."
By Thursday afternoon the river had settled well into its banks again, with street sweepers working to clear mud and branches from roads. Earley said the town had been cleaning up from the August flood for the past few months. “Now here we go again,” he said. “We're getting ready for Christmas, a lot of McCaysville events, our Christmas parade. So it's devastating.” He called it crazy to be hit with two such damaging floods in just three months. “I don't know what God is trying to tell me.”
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The Toccoa River reached a record 18 feet, and up to 10 inches of rain fell overnight, causing life-threatening flooding in two small mountain towns and forcing dozens of rescues.
- The flood arrived as McCaysville was still recovering from an August flood that damaged the police station, which had just reopened, leaving the town to clean up again before its Christmas events.
- The shutdown of the water treatment plant and a boil water advisory affect residents and businesses during the cleanup, with cellphone and power outages complicating the emergency response.
Background
The twin towns of McCaysville and Copperhill sit along the Georgia-Tennessee border in a mountainous area that drains into the Toccoa River, which flows into Tennessee's Ocoee River. The towns are a destination for scenic railroad excursions that bring visitors to their riverside downtowns. Much of McCaysville's downtown was inundated by a flood in August, and residents had spent months cleaning up before the latest storm.
What to Watch
- Whether the Toccoa River gauge in Copperhill continues to fall and stays below the "catastrophic" threshold.
- When the McCaysville water treatment plant is restored and the boil water advisory is lifted.
- How the towns balance Christmas parade preparations and downtown events with the second major cleanup in three months.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe headline says record flooding hit Georgia–Tennessee border towns and dozens of people were rescued.OPB: “Thunderstorms caused record flooding overnight in twin towns straddling the Georgia-Tennessee border, submerging some buildings to their rooflines on Thursday as emergency responders rescued dozens of people.”
- SupportedThe summary says the Toccoa River reached a record 18 feet and up to 10 inches of rain fell overnight.OPB: “As much as 8 to 10 inches (20 to 25 centimeters) fell overnight between the north Georgia towns of Blue Ridge and Ellijay”
- SupportedThe opening says some buildings were submerged to their rooflines.OPB: “Some buildings were submerged to their rooflines early Thursday as rescue crews in red boats and motorized rafts navigated through the deep, rushing water flowing over downtown streets.”
- SupportedThe opening says dozens were rescued before the waters began receding Thursday afternoon.OPB: “At least 57 people were rescued by swift water teams before the floodwaters began to recede”
- SupportedAs much as 8 to 10 inches of rain fell overnight between Blue Ridge and Ellijay, according to the Tennessee Valley Authority.OPB: “As much as 8 to 10 inches (20 to 25 centimeters) fell overnight between the north Georgia towns of Blue Ridge and Ellijay, and runoff from uncontrolled streams swelled the rivers below, according to the TVA.”
- SupportedThe Toccoa River reached a record 18 feet Thursday morning at a gauge in Copperhill.OPB: “The Toccoa River reached a record high Thursday morning of 18 feet (5.5 meters), according to a river gauge in Copperhill”
- SupportedThe story attributes at least 57 rescues to the Fannin County Emergency Management Agency and says the Tennessee Emergency Management Authority coordinated 68 rescues.OPB: “At least 57 people were rescued by swift water teams before the floodwaters began to recede, according to the Fannin County Emergency Management Agency in Georgia”
- SupportedEarley told Fox5 Atlanta, “I have one of my police cars that's floating down the river right now. Don't know where it's at, but it's somewhere down there.”OPB: ““I have one of my police cars that’s floating down the river right now. Don’t know where it’s at, but it’s somewhere down there,” the chief told Fox5 Atlanta early Thursday.”
- SupportedEarley said, “from what we could tell, everybody looked to be OK.”OPB: “One firefighter suffered a minor injury and a few residents were treated for suspected hypothermia and shock, “but from what we could tell, everybody looked to be OK,” Earley said.”
- SupportedRogers said, “It's a little bit heartbreaking.”OPB: ““It’s a little bit heartbreaking,” said Hugh Rogers, who has owned McCaysville Drug & Gun since 1997.”
- SupportedRogers said family, friends and coworkers planned to “come out strong” on Friday to help clean up.OPB: “But Rogers said he considers himself luckier than others whose homes were damaged, and that family, friends and coworkers were planning to “come out strong” on Friday to help him clean up.”
- SupportedRogers said, “It's been our livelihood for 30 years, so we're going to do what we can to keep it going.”OPB: ““It’s been our livelihood for 30 years, so we’re going to do what we can to keep it going,” he said.”
