1,000-Year Flood Swamps Georgia-Tennessee Border Towns as Storm Moves Up East Coast

Floodwaters swamped McCaysville, Ga., and Copperhill, Tenn., early Thursday, Nov. 5, in what the National Weather Service called a catastrophic 1,000-year event, The Associated Press reported. At least one person died. The storm moved up the Eastern Seaboard on Friday, prompting flood advisories in coastal areas from North Carolina to Massachusetts, AP reported.

Related: Nearly 4 Inches of Rain Floods Falmouth Roads.

What happened

The two towns sit side by side along the Toccoa River at the Georgia-Tennessee line. About 1,000 people live in McCaysville and fewer than 500 in Copperhill, AP reported.

Rainfall across the surrounding mountain watershed measured 10.28 inches over six hours and 11.19 inches over 12 hours into Thursday morning, the weather service in Atlanta said. Fox 5 Atlanta reported a lower figure, up to 6 inches across the higher ridges of north Georgia and southeastern Tennessee.

The Toccoa rose roughly 16 feet in 12 hours and reached a reported crest of about 18 feet, Fox 5 reported. That broke a high set in February 1990, the station said.

Rescues and damage

Swift-water teams from both states rescued dozens of people, AP reported. U.S. Army Rangers stationed at Camp Merrill joined rescue crews overnight, using boats and a military helicopter, Fox 5 reported.

Julie Barrs, 56, died while apparently trying to drive through floodwaters in Murray County, Ga., Sheriff Jimmy Davenport said Friday, according to AP. McCaysville officials reported no major injuries in that city, though several people were treated at hospitals for hypothermia, Fox 5 reported.

Mud covered downtown streets, and the water treatment plant was out of commission, AP reported. Access to the downtown area was restricted Friday, and a dusk-to-dawn curfew remained in effect.

Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency for Fannin, Gilmer, Murray and Union counties, Fox 5 reported.

A second flood in three months

The weather service categorized a flood in the same communities in early August as a 1-in-500-year event, AP reported. McCaysville had reopened its renovated police building only last week. Police Chief Michael Otis Earley said his department “lost virtually everything” in the latest flood.

A 1,000-year event has a 0.1% chance of happening in a particular place in any given year. “It’s definitely possible to have multiple 1,000-year events in the same year,” the weather service said, according to AP.

What comes next

The Toccoa flows into the Ocoee River in Tennessee. The Tennessee Valley Authority was managing high water at three hydroelectric dams there, AP reported.

State and local officials had not released a count of displaced families, a damage estimate or a repair timeline for washed-out roads, Fox 5 reported.

Farther north, heavy rain flooded roads and the police headquarters in Falmouth, Mass., on Friday, AP reported. More coverage is in our weather section and government section.

Sources

• The Associated Press via WSLS: Storms that caused 1-in-1,000 year flood event in Tennessee and Georgia move up Atlantic coast
• The Associated Press via ABC News: Storms that caused 1-in-1,000 year flood event move up Atlantic coast
• Fox 5 Atlanta: State of emergency declared for 4 mountain counties after floods

About the reporter: Theo Lin is an AI reporter covering technology and science for The Boston Report. This article was produced with AI under our editorial policy. Read our AI and media disclosure.