McCAYSVILLE, Ga. — A powerful overnight thunderstorm system unleashed record-breaking rainfall across the mountainous terrain straddling the Georgia-Tennessee border, triggering flash floods that inundated the twin towns of McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee. By Thursday morning, emergency crews had rescued dozens of residents as water levels surged to historic highs, submerging some structures up to their rooflines.
The deluge, which dropped between 8 and 10 inches (20-25 centimeters) of rain in a matter of hours, swelled the Toccoa River to a record 18 feet (5.5 meters) at a gauge in Copperhill, according to the Tennessee Valley Authority. That level marked 2 feet (0.6 meters) above what forecasters consider “catastrophic,” prompting officials in both towns to urge residents to seek shelter at their respective city halls.
As the floodwaters began to recede by afternoon, the scale of the damage became apparent. Hugh Rogers, owner of McCaysville Drug & Gun since 1997, described arriving at his store around 3:30 a.m. to find water already 4 to 5 feet deep inside, knocking over shelves and destroying an estimated $200,000 to $300,000 in inventory. “It’s a little bit heartbreaking,” he said, but he counted himself luckier than those whose homes were hit. He added that family, friends, and coworkers were planning to help him clean up on Friday.
Emergency response efforts were complicated by widespread power and cellphone outages, said McCaysville Police Chief Michael Earley. He recounted seeing one of his department’s police cars floating down the river, its whereabouts unknown. “I have one of my police cars that’s floating down the river right now,” Earley told Fox5 Atlanta. The flooding also shut down the town’s water treatment plant, triggering a boil water advisory, and left municipal dump trucks and heavy equipment inaccessible.
At least 57 people were rescued by swift water teams in Georgia, according to the Fannin County Emergency Management Agency, while Tennessee’s Emergency Management Authority reported coordinating 68 rescues. One firefighter suffered a minor injury, and a few residents were treated for suspected hypothermia and shock, but Earley said “from what we could tell, everybody looked to be OK.”
The twin towns, known for their scenic railroad excursions and quaint downtowns, are no strangers to flooding. McCaysville’s downtown was inundated just three months ago in August, damaging the police station, post office, and numerous businesses. The police building had only reopened last week after renovations. “Now here we go again,” Earley lamented. “A lot of people came together, and we’ve been cleaning the town for the past few months. We’re getting ready for Christmas, a lot of McCaysville events, our Christmas parade. So it’s devastating.”
As the river settled back within its banks by Thursday afternoon, residents began the grim task of assessing the damage. Debris — chairs, branches, and other items — floated under the bridges connecting the two towns, while street sweepers worked to clear mud and rubble from roadways. The TVA continued to manage high water levels at three hydroelectric dams downstream on the Ocoee River.
The flooding comes as Georgia and Tennessee have seen increased political focus on infrastructure and disaster preparedness, with recent election cycles highlighting the need for resilient communities. The Democrats' flip of Georgia's governorship has brought renewed attention to state-level emergency management, while Tennessee's Senate race also touched on federal disaster relief priorities.
Local officials are now calling for a thorough review of flood mitigation strategies, noting that the back-to-back disasters have stretched resources thin. “It’s crazy to be hit with two such damaging floods in just three months,” Earley said. “I don’t know what God is trying to tell me.”
