Torrential overnight rain sent the Toccoa River to a record crest on Thursday, swamping the twin border towns of McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee, forcing more than 140 water rescues and killing one driver in a neighbouring county.
The flood wave arrived just after 2 a.m. on Thursday 5 November, after hours of stalled thunderstorms dumped up to 11 inches of rain on the mountains of northern Georgia. By morning, the river had topped a record that had stood since February 1990, and both towns were under states of emergency as the clean-up began.
What happened overnight
The rain began on Wednesday evening, 4 November, as a band of showers and thunderstorms rolled across the southern Appalachians ahead of a cold front. Instead of moving through quickly, clusters of heavy rain stalled over the same ground for several hours, falling at rates of 2 to 3 inches an hour, according to weather.com.
By the time the rain ended, between 5 and 11 inches had fallen over an area only 20 miles long by 10 miles wide across Fannin and Gilmer counties in Georgia. The mountainous terrain sent the water racing into creeks and rivers, including the Toccoa, which becomes the Ocoee River as it crosses into Tennessee.
Water began reaching homes and threatening businesses in Blue Ridge and Cherry Log, about 75 miles north of Atlanta, just before midnight. In McCaysville, the flood wave from the Toccoa arrived just after 2 a.m., with water ankle- to waist-deep in parts of the town. From 3 a.m., police asked people in some McCaysville neighbourhoods to evacuate immediately, and swift-water rescue teams moved in with rafts and boats.
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| Wed 4 Nov, evening | Thunderstorms stall over the southern Appalachians ahead of a cold front |
| Wed, before midnight | Water reaches homes in Blue Ridge and Cherry Log, Georgia |
| Thu 5 Nov, just after 2 a.m. | Flood wave from the Toccoa River reaches McCaysville |
| Thu, 3 a.m. | Evacuations ordered in parts of McCaysville; rescue teams deploy |
| Thu, early morning | National Weather Service issues rare flash flood emergencies |
| Thu, about 6 a.m. | Toccoa River crests at a record 18.05 feet at Copperhill |
| Thu afternoon | Georgia governor declares a state of emergency for four counties |
| Fri 6 Nov | Death of a driver in Murray County confirmed; recovery under way |
A record crest
Late on Thursday morning, the Ocoee River at Polk County recorded a record-high crest of 18.05 feet, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The gauge at Copperhill showed the Toccoa reaching the same height at about 6 a.m., topping the all-time record in 80 years of records, according to the National Weather Service.
"Nothing to this extent since 1990," said Robert Poole, public information officer for the Fannin County Emergency Management Agency, referring to the area's previous flood of record.
Flash flood emergency is the National Weather Service's highest level of flood warning. It is issued only for severe, life-threatening flooding capable of catastrophic damage — not for ordinary flood warnings.
Rescues — and one death
Emergency officials said at least 80 people were rescued in Fannin County, Georgia, and at least 68 in Polk County, Tennessee, where the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency had swift-water and helicopter rescue teams active. Georgia State Patrol helicopters were on standby to assist with evacuations, and the Tennessee Valley Authority was managing high water at three of its hydroelectric dams on the Ocoee.
One driver died after floodwaters swept their vehicle away along Old CCC Camp Road in Murray County, emergency officials said. The death was confirmed on Friday, a day after the flooding, when the vehicle was found in a flooded mountain creek. State emergency officials said it was the only death reported in connection with the flooding so far.
The flooding also caused a propane tank to catch fire and later explode outside a business in McCaysville. A firefighter was injured in the incident but not seriously hurt, police said. Fannin County officials told Fox Weather that at least six buildings caught fire during the storms, which they believe were caused by lightning.
States of emergency and the clean-up
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency on Thursday for Fannin, Gilmer, Murray and Union counties. Polk County, Tennessee, also declared a state of emergency. McCaysville declared its own state of emergency early on Thursday morning and asked people to stay out of the city while the clean-up was under way; Copperhill said the city was closed and warned people to stay away from the downtown and riverfront.
By Friday, most of the flooding had receded in McCaysville and Copperhill, and both towns were in recovery mode, with street sweepers and dumpsters already at work. But officials warned that flooded areas remain dangerous well after the rain stops: roads can be washed out, bridges damaged, and debris hidden under mud and standing water.
The same storm system that caused the flooding then moved east, bringing the first significant rainfall in weeks to parts of the north-east coast along the Interstate 95 corridor.
Why the flooding was so severe
Three factors combined to make this flood historic. First, the rain did not move on: storm clusters stalled over the same narrow strip of mountains for hours, dropping 2 to 3 inches an hour. Second, the terrain is steep, so the rain ran off the mountainsides into creeks and rivers almost immediately instead of soaking in. Third, it happened overnight, when many people were asleep as the water rose — the most dangerous timing for a flash flood.
What is not yet known: full damage figures for homes and businesses in McCaysville and Copperhill have not yet been released, and emergency officials were still assessing roads, bridges and water systems on Friday. Early reports of the scale of the damage are provisional and may be revised.
Frequently asked questions
How much rain fell?
Between 5 and 11 inches across a 20-by-10-mile area of Fannin and Gilmer counties, Georgia, with some spots recording more than 11 inches in under six hours. Rainfall rates reached 2 to 3 inches an hour while the storms stalled.
How high did the river get?
The Toccoa River crested at 18.05 feet at Copperhill, Tennessee, at about 6 a.m. on Thursday — a record in 80 years of records, topping the previous high set in February 1990.
Was anyone killed?
One person died: a driver whose vehicle was swept away by floodwaters along Old CCC Camp Road in Murray County, Georgia. Emergency officials said it was the only death reported in connection with the flooding.
What is a flash flood emergency?
It is the National Weather Service's rarest and most serious flood warning, issued only when flooding poses an immediate threat to life and is capable of catastrophic damage.
What should people in the area do now?
Officials have asked people to stay away from McCaysville and Copperhill downtowns and riverfronts while the clean-up continues, and never to drive through flooded roads — most flood deaths happen in vehicles.
Key takeaways
- Between 5 and 11 inches of rain fell overnight on 4–5 November across a narrow strip of the north Georgia mountains.
- The Toccoa River crested at a record 18.05 feet at Copperhill, topping an 80-year record set in February 1990.
- More than 140 people were rescued in Fannin County, Georgia, and Polk County, Tennessee.
- One driver died in Murray County after floodwaters swept their vehicle away.
- States of emergency are in effect in four Georgia counties and in Polk County, Tennessee, while the clean-up continues.
What to watch next: damage assessments from both states, the reopening of roads and bridges between McCaysville and Copperhill, and whether the state-of-emergency declarations are extended as the recovery continues. The National Weather Service's standing advice remains the same after every flood: turn around, don't drown — never drive through flooded roads, however shallow they look.
