Toccoa River Flooding: Record Levels Straddle Georgia-Tennessee Border
Thunderstorms dumped up to 10 inches of rain on mountain towns, forcing dozens of rescues and submerging downtown streets.
By Luana Sato ·
Thunderstorms triggered record-breaking flooding in McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee, on Thursday. The heavy weather submerging parts of the twin towns to their rooflines, prompting emergency crews to perform dozens of water rescues overnight.
The storms saturated the mountainous region, swelling the Toccoa River between the two communities. The Toccoa flows into the Ocoee River, where the Tennessee Valley Authority managed water levels at three hydroelectric dams due to high flows. According to the TVA, precipitation totals between Blue Ridge and Ellijay, Georgia, ranged from 8 to 10 inches during the overnight period.
A river gauge in Copperhill recorded the Toccoa River at a record high of 18 feet on Thursday morning. This level stood two feet above what forecasters classify as catastrophic, a threshold that typically tops bridges and isolates communities. Copperhill, which has a population of fewer than 500, sits directly across the waterway from McCaysville, a town of approximately 1,000 residents. Local officials urged residents to shelter in either town's City Hall.
McCaysville Police Chief Michael Earley described the scene in the downtown business district, where water reached depths of six to seven feet. Earley told Fox5 Atlanta that one of his patrol vehicles was floating down the river. He confirmed that more than 30 rescues were conducted during the overnight shift. Robert Poole, a spokesperson for the Fannin County Emergency Management Agency, estimated that about 20 people were rescued, with no reports of injuries or deaths.
By late Thursday morning, water levels began to recede. Poole stated that calls for stranded residents had slowed, leading the agency to deploy a helicopter and possibly drones for an aerial survey. The agency warned on social media that the end of rainfall does not signal safety, noting that floodwaters remain dangerous and conditions can worsen after the rain stops.
The flooding also forced the closure of the McCaysville water treatment plant, resulting in a boil water advisory for the city. This event follows a similar flooding incident in August, which damaged local infrastructure. At that time, Chief Earley attributed the previous issues to major drainage problems linked to nearby state highway construction rather than the river itself.
