Water rescues, evacuations underway as ‘catastrophic flood event’ hits North Georgia and southern Tennessee

Flash flood emergencies, the highest level of flood warning, are impacting North Georgia and southern Tennessee, with homes flooded and water rescues and evacuations underway. McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee, on the Georgia-Tennessee border, are experiencing record flooding along the Ocoee River in Tennessee and the Toccoa River in Georgia.

The rivers crested just above the previous record flood set in 1990, causing a "catastrophic flood event" in the two towns. A state of emergency has been issued in McCaysville, and the city is closed until further notice. Rescue efforts are ongoing, with several people still trapped in their homes as the rising water continues to pose a threat.

Numerous residents in Fannin County, where McCaysville is located, still require evacuations, and evacuations have been ordered for residents in McCaysville on West and East Tennessee Avenue. The city has been warned not to delay its evacuation, as the situation remains dire. The extreme rainfall, totaling 3 to 6 inches across parts of North Georgia and over 8 inches in isolated spots, has caused widespread flooding and water rescues.

This rainfall equates to at least a 1-in-200-year event, with only a 0.5% chance of occurring in a given year, indicating the increasing frequency of such extreme weather events due to climate change.