Flooding swamps Georgia-Tennessee border towns as crews rescue dozens

Overnight flooding swamped McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee, along the state line before daybreak Thursday. The National Weather Service in Morristown said the Ocoee River came out of its banks at 2:25 a.m. EST, flooding downtown streets in the twin towns, after 3 to 5 inches of rain fell around McCaysville.

The worst came before sunrise. The flash flood emergency for Copperhill said local law enforcement reported widespread catastrophic flooding at 6:23 a.m., with numerous homes and businesses under several feet of water. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency for Fannin, Gilmer, Murray and Union counties as crews from both states moved boats, helicopters and swift-water teams into the Copper Basin.

NOAA's river gauge at Copperhill crested at 18.05 feet Thursday morning in preliminary readings, above the 17.8-foot record marked on its graph. The river dropped almost as fast as it rose. By 7:30 a.m. EST Friday it was down to 3.11 feet, well below the 8-foot flood stage.

Tennessee emergency managers said the American Red Cross was supporting an evacuation center at Copper Basin Fire and Rescue. News reports and local officials described dozens of water rescues on both sides of the line, with counts that varied through the day.

Floodwater pushed into homes and businesses in both towns, and numerous downtown streets flooded after the river spilled out of its banks. By Thursday evening the rain had stopped and residents were clearing mud from storefronts and homes.

No flood warnings were active in Georgia or Tennessee by Friday morning. Forecasters at NWS Morristown called for dry weather through the weekend, which should help crews as residents wait to learn how much damage the water left behind.