Water rescues, evacuations underway as ‘catastrophic flood event’ hits North Georgia and southern Tennessee

Homes are flooded and water rescues and evacuations are in progress as flash flood emergencies — the highest level of flood warning — impact North Georgia and southern Tennessee.

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The flash flood emergencies are in effect for McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee, on the Georgia-Tennessee border.

Record flooding is ongoing there along a river known as the Ocoee River in Tennessee and the Toccoa River in Georgia once it flows across the border.

The river crested just above the previous record flood set in 1990 just after 6:00 a.m. ET in McCaysville and Copperhill, above the level that causes a “catastrophic flood event” in the two towns, according to the National Weather Service.

A state of emergency has been issued in McCaysville, and the city is closed until further notice, according to the city’s police chief Michael Earley.

“We’re actively trying to water rescue people, and we’ve still got several people trapped in homes that we’re trying to get to,” Earley told CNN affiliate Atlanta News First. “The water keeps rising, so just bear with us as much as you can and please say a prayer for them and their families.”

There were still “numerous residents” that needed evacuations in Fannin County, where McCaysville is located, the county’s emergency management said early Thursday morning.

Evacuations were ordered for residents in McCaysville on West Tennessee Avenue and East Tennessee Avenue, where a Georgia DOT camera showed streets and buildings swamped by the flooded river.

“DO NOT DELAY YOUR EVACUATION. LEAVE THE AREA NOW,” Earley said in a social media post.

A separate flash flood emergency was also issued overnight for other parts of Fannin County and Gilmer County in Georgia.

Emergency management in both counties reported “widespread flooding, with multiple homes flooded and some completely surrounded by water” and water rescues.

Widespread rainfall totals of 3 to 6 inches from slow-moving overnight storms were reported across parts of North Georgia, with over 8 inches in isolated spots.

Up to 6 inches of rain fell in just six hours at multiple rain gauges in the area. This equates to at least a 1-in-200-year rainfall — a rate that has only a 0.5% chance of happening in a given year, under normal circumstances.

Such extreme rainfall is becoming more common as planet-warming pollution pushes temperatures higher as warmer air can hold more moisture.

The rain has come to an end across northern Georgia and southern Tennessee. No additional downpours are expected through the weekend, but dangerous river flooding will remain a threat throughout the day.

CNN Lead Meteorologist Brandon Miller contributed to this report.