Municipal authorities in McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee, closed both border towns to the public and ordered residents to evacuate on Thursday after overnight flooding submerged streets and severed road connections.
McCaysville declared a state of emergency and shut down municipal operations until further notice. Water topped both bridges connecting the two communities, blocking vehicle travel between the towns. Emergency officials opened shelters at McCaysville City Hall and Copperhill City Hall.
Heavy rainfall dropping 6 to 9 inches overnight, and up to 10 inches between Blue Ridge and Ellijay, pushed the Ocoee River to a record crest of 18.05 feet Thursday morning. River monitoring records show that mark passed the previous high of 17.8 feet set on February 16, 1990. Under normal conditions, the river sits at roughly 2.5 feet. The Tennessee Valley Authority managed runoff through three hydroelectric dams on the Ocoee River as uncontrolled tributaries fed the surge.
Responders pulled dozens of people from flooded structures. Police Chief Michael Earley estimated that crews conducted 30 to 40 rescues, while Robert Poole of the Fannin County Emergency Management Agency estimated about 20 rescues. One firefighter sustained a non-life-threatening injury, and a few residents were evaluated at hospitals with no major injuries or fatalities reported.
Floodwaters knocked out electrical power, mobile phone service, and water infrastructure across McCaysville. The Fannin County Emergency Management Agency placed the municipal system under a mandatory boil water advisory after the local water treatment plant was forced offline.
