Downtown McCaysville, Georgia sits under six to seven feet of floodwater after a night of relentless rain. The Toccoa River hit a record 18 feet at Copperhill, Tennessee, Thursday morning, and rescue crews in boats pulled more than 40 people from rising water. Between Blue Ridge and Ellijay, up to 10 inches of rain fell in a matter of hours, sending runoff down the mountainsides and into streets that were dry the night before. McCaysville’s police chief reported one of his own patrol cars floating down the river, and a state of emergency was issued Thursday. As of late Thursday morning, no injuries or deaths had been reported.
This story reaches beyond the mountains. The Toccoa and its surrounding towns sit within a day’s drive of the Suncoast, and a lot of us have ridden the Blue Ridge Railway or stayed in a cabin near those river bends. Travelers with trips planned should check conditions with local officials before heading north. The bigger takeaway is closer to home, though. Flooding like this comes from rain that stalls over an area, and the Suncoast knows that pattern well during hurricane season. Rivers, creeks and low-lying streets here can rise quickly when the ground gets saturated, even from a storm that never earns a name.
What can you do with that reminder? Keep your storm kit stocked, know your evacuation zone, sign up for county emergency alerts, and never drive into water covering a road. Fannin County officials asked residents to stay off the roads as water receded, and that advice applies anywhere. If you want to help the recovery in north Georgia, watch for verified requests from local emergency management agencies before donating or heading that way.
Have you ever dealt with flash flooding near your Suncoast home? Share your story in the comments.
