Record Flooding Submerges McCaysville and Copperhill After Overnight Rains

The Toccoa River in Georgia, known as the Ocoee River once it crosses into Tennessee, reached 18.05 feet at the Copperhill gauge at 6 a.m. on 5 November. That crest exceeded the previous record of 17.8 feet set on 16 February 1990. The river had stood at 2.74 feet the previous afternoon.

Rainfall totals reached 11.19 inches in less than six hours at a station northwest of Blue Ridge, Georgia, according to the National Weather Service. The Tennessee Valley Authority reported 8 to 10 inches across the stretch between Blue Ridge and Ellijay. Runoff from uncontrolled streams fed the rapid rise. Flows at the Copperhill gauge climbed from about 20,000 cubic feet per second near 5 a.m. to 24,000 cubic feet per second by 7:30 a.m.

Flash flood emergencies were issued for McCaysville in Fannin County, Georgia, and Copperhill in Polk County, Tennessee. Both towns ordered evacuations. Bridges between them were topped, cutting off road access. McCaysville declared a state of emergency and closed the city. Police Chief Michael Earley described the flooding as catastrophic and said people had to be taken from rooftops.

Swift-water teams from both states rescued more than 100 people by late afternoon, according to the Tennessee Emergency Management Authority. Fannin County reported roughly 57 rescues overnight. One rescue involved a Navy veteran who left a second-floor apartment in Copperhill after water surrounded the building. Residents said the water levels matched or exceeded the 1990 flood.

Businesses in both downtowns sustained heavy damage. At the Hometown Foods IGA in McCaysville, freezers and display cases were overturned and equipment blocked aisles. Owner Edward Vest called the scene a disaster and said dump trucks might be needed to clear debris. In Copperhill, the Tallent Drug Co. lost stock; staff recovered what prescriptions they could. Katina Yeoman of Coppermine Candle Company watched water pour out when doors opened. Sweet Emmaline Cheesecakes expected to lose everything at its local location and lacked flood insurance. McCaysville’s water system was out of operation; officials could not estimate when service would return.

The towns had seen flooding months earlier. In August, seven inches of rain fell in eight hours. Business owners said the November event was worse because the river left its banks and additional runoff arrived from Harper Town Hill. The TVA managed water at Blue Ridge Dam and Ocoee No. 3 to move as much volume as possible through the system. By Thursday afternoon levels were falling at Copperhill, though downstream flooding remained possible.

Shelters opened at Copperhill City Hall and McCaysville City Hall. Local groups offered coffee and meals to volunteers and responders. The Fannin County Emergency Management Agency warned that flooded areas stay dangerous after the rain stops. Recovery will require clearing debris, assessing structural damage, and restoring utilities in communities of roughly 1,000 people in McCaysville and fewer than 500 in Copperhill.

The concentrated rainfall on a small mountainous drainage basin produced the record crest in hours. The same topography that makes the area attractive for visitors also channels runoff quickly into the shared river. Officials have not yet released a full damage assessment. Residents began returning as water receded to find debris and ruined contents in homes and shops.