Flash flooding leads to water rescues in tourist towns on Georgia-Tennessee border

Associated Press · Emilie Megnien · 2026-11-05 14:06 UTC

Thunderstorms caused record flooding in two towns straddling the Georgia-Tennessee border. The Tennessee Valley Authority says as much as 8 to 10 inches of rain fell overnight in a mountainous area where the Toccoa River flows between McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee. The McCaysville police chief said nearly 50 people were rescued as the water reached downtown rooflines, and Tennessee emergency responders coordinated 68 rescues as crews searched with helicopters and drones. The Toccoa reached a record 18 feet — that's 2 feet above the flood level forecasters consider “catastrophic.” The towns just cleaned up from another severe flood in August.

Heavy rains flood towns, dozens rescued on Georgia-Tennessee border

McCAYSVILLE, Ga. (AP) — Thunderstorms caused record flooding overnight in twin towns straddling the Georgia-Tennessee border, submerging some buildings to their rooflines on Thursday as emergency responders rescued dozens of people.

With floodwaters receding by afternoon, residents returned to find piles of debris and the contents of businesses scattered or ruined.

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