The highest level flood warning, a flash flood emergency, is affecting north Georgia and south Tennessee, with homes flooded and water rescues and evacuations underway.
A flash flood emergency is in effect for McCaysville, Georgia, and Copper Hill, Tennessee, on the Georgia-Tennessee border.
There, rivers known as the Ocoee River in Tennessee and the Toccoa River in Georgia cross the border and continue to experience record flooding along the rivers.
The National Weather Service said the river crested just after 6 a.m. ET in McCaysville and Copper Hill, just above the last record flood in 1990, above the level that would cause a “catastrophic flooding event” in both towns.
A state of emergency has been declared in McCaysville and the city will be closed until further notice, according to City Police Chief Michael Early.
“We are actively trying to get people out with water, but there are still several people trapped in their homes that we are trying to help,” Early told CNN affiliate Atlanta News First. “As the water continues to rise, please hold on as long as you can and keep them and their families in your prayers.”
Fannin County, where McCaysville is located, still has “a large number of residents” who need to be evacuated, county emergency management officials announced early Thursday.
Residents of West Tennessee Avenue and East Tennessee Avenue in McCaysville were ordered to evacuate, and Georgia.com cameras showed streets and buildings submerged by the flooded river.
“Don’t delay your evacuation. Leave the area now,” Early said in a social media post.
Separate flash flood emergencies were issued overnight for other parts of Georgia’s Fannin and Gilmer counties.
Emergency management officials in both counties reported “widespread flooding, with multiple homes submerged and some completely surrounded by water” and water rescues.
The slow-moving overnight storm caused widespread rainfall totals of 3 to 6 inches to be reported in parts of North Georgia, with isolated locations receiving more than 8 inches.
Rain gauges in the area saw up to 6 inches of rain fall in just 6 hours. This is equivalent to at least one rainfall event every 200 years. Under normal circumstances, there is only a 0.5% chance of precipitation occurring in a given year.
These extreme rainfall events are becoming more common as global warming pollution causes temperatures to rise, as warmer air can hold more moisture.
Rain has stopped in northern Georgia and southern Tennessee. No further heavy rainfall is expected over the weekend, but dangerous river flooding will continue throughout the day.
