Flood rescues and evacuations were continuing in McCaysville, Georgia, on Thursday morning, November 5, after the Ocoee River reportedly crested just above its previous flood record set in 1990.
CNN reported that the river passed the earlier record shortly after 6 a.m. Eastern time, bringing catastrophic flooding to McCaysville and neighbouring Copperhill, Tennessee. The river is known as the Toccoa in Georgia and the Ocoee after it crosses into Tennessee. An earlier gauge reading shared by weather account eastwx put the water level at 17.73 feet, close to the 17.75-foot record from 1990.
At least 30 people had been rescued by about 6:50 a.m., according to 11Alive, citing Fannin County officials. The report said water was about seven feet deep in parts of the city, with some homes covered to their roofs. Rescuers were still working to reach residents and evacuate people from flooded areas.
CBS Atlanta reported at 8:01 a.m. that residents remained stranded in places crews could not yet reach and that officials said further evacuations were needed. FOX 5 Atlanta also reported that people remained trapped and that crews from Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina were responding. Officials had not confirmed injuries in the outlet’s video report.
City closed as evacuation warning remains in effect
McCaysville declared a state of emergency and restricted access to authorised emergency personnel, according to WSB-TV. Police urged residents on West and East Tennessee Avenue to evacuate, while Blue Ridge Drive at the bridge and the Steel Bridge were closed because of flooding, 11Alive reported.
The National Weather Service’s Atlanta office said its flash-flood emergency for McCaysville and Copperhill remained in effect until 9 a.m. Eastern time in a post on X. The weather service warned people to seek higher ground. CBS Atlanta reported that flooding could remain dangerous even after the rain stopped.
Overnight rainfall across parts of North Georgia ranged from three to six inches, with more than eight inches in isolated locations, according to CNN. The heavy rain sent runoff into local rivers and creeks; further rainfall was not expected in the warned area, but river flooding remained a threat.
Fannin County’s recreation centre in Blue Ridge was listed as an emergency shelter by CBS Atlanta for displaced residents able to reach it safely. The final extent of damage, the number of people still needing rescue and any confirmed injury toll were not established in the reports available by Thursday morning.
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