Catastrophic Flooding Closes Cities in Georgia and Tennessee as Ocoee River Hits Record Crest

Two cities in Tennessee and Georgia are experiencing catastrophic flooding after 6 to 9 inches of rain fell overnight, causing the Ocoee River to rise to a record 18.05 feet.

The Ocoee River's previous record crest was 17.8 feet, reached on February 16, 1990. The river is typically around 2.5 feet on a normal day.

McCaysville in Georgia and Copperhill in Tennessee have both closed, ordering residents to evacuate and stay out of the cities.

McCaysville has declared a state of emergency and the city is closed until further notice amid flooding and dangerous conditions, Police Chief Michael Earley said in a post on social media on Thursday morning. He urged everyone to stay away from McCaysville, not to attempt to enter the city, bypass barricades, or interfere with ongoing emergency operations.

Streets in downtown Copperhill were flooded just after 2am on Thursday. Bridges to the city remain closed and shelters are open at Copperhill City Hall and McCaysville City Hall, according to the city. Transportation between the two towns has been cut off as both bridges have been topped.

The river has been steadily receding, dropping below 10 feet by 11:30am into a minor flood stage, and was expected to go below flood stage in the afternoon.

A few people were sent to hospital, but no major injuries have been reported, Earley said at a press conference on Thursday morning. A firefighter was injured but is expected to recover, he said.

First responders still have to actively clear all the homes and a Blackhawk helicopter is flying overhead to see if any more people need to be rescued, with parts of the city still inaccessible, Earley said. Some people were rescued from the roofs of their homes and rescue teams were actively trying to reach a 90-year-old stranded on her kitchen table, he said.

At least 30 to 40 rescues have been made, according to Earley. A lot of vehicles, debris and even a police car have floated down the water, he said.

Government buildings, shops and homes have been lost in the flooding, Earley said. Cell phone communications, power and the water plant are all down in the city as well, he said.

At 4am on Thursday, a flash flood emergency was declared in Polk County, in the southeast corner of Tennessee, and a considerable flash flood warning was issued for multiple counties in north central Georgia. The Ocoee River at Copperhill and McCaysville entered major flood stage, level 3 of 3, at 3:30am.

The river rose 14 feet in seven and a half hours, from 4 feet at 10:30pm to 16 feet at 4:30am to 18 feet at 6am. Water from the river had started to recede and had dropped three feet in the last hour, Earley said at around 8am on Thursday.

The McCaysville Water System is on a boil water advisory until further notice, according to the Fannin County Emergency Management Agency.