McCaysville declares emergency after heavy rain

McCaysville, Georgia, declared a state of emergency on Thursday after flash flooding submerged downtown streets and trapped residents in their homes. Emergency personnel conducted more than 30 water rescues using boats, according to McCaysville Police Chief Michael Earley. The chief said he had never witnessed flooding of this magnitude in his life and asked for any willing volunteers to assist with the response efforts.

Water levels in parts of downtown McCaysville reached heights of six to seven feet. The National Weather Service placed the city under a flash flood emergency until 9 a.m. Thursday. Neighboring communities of Chatsworth, Ellijay, and Blue Ridge received flash flood warnings that remained in effect until 7 a.m. The Fannin County Emergency Management Agency advised residents to avoid roads due to dangerous conditions.

The agency noted that numerous residents still required evacuation. Some individuals were located in areas that emergency crews could not yet access because of the severe flooding. Heavy rainfall from powerful storms that rolled into north Georgia on Wednesday night caused the widespread damage.

The Toccoa River crested at 17.73 feet as of 8 a.m. Thursday. This level was just below the recorded high for the river. Fannin and Gilmer counties canceled school for the day in response to the storm damage.