Tennessee Georgia floods: Storm system moves north after 1,000-year event

A storm system that generated a 1,000-year flood event along the Tennessee-Georgia border moved up the Eastern Seaboard on Friday. The movement triggered flood advisories in coastal regions from North Carolina to Massachusetts.

The National Weather Service classified the rainfall in the Toccoa River watershed as a catastrophic event. The service in Atlanta recorded 10.28 inches of rain over six hours and 11.19 inches over 12 hours into Thursday morning. Such events are defined by a 0.1 percent probability of occurring in a specific location in any given year.

In McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee, crews and residents began clearing mud from downtown streets on Friday. Swift-water teams from both states rescued dozens of individuals before the waters receded. The water treatment plant in the area is currently out of commission.

At least one person died in the flooding. Sheriff Jimmy Davenport said Julie Barrs, 56, died while attempting to drive her vehicle through floodwaters in a mountainous part of Murray County, Georgia.

The Tennessee Valley Authority managed high water levels at three hydroelectric dams on the Ocoee River, which receives water from the Toccoa. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency for four counties to access state resources.

This is the second severe flood for these communities in three months. The weather service categorized the earlier incident in August as a 1-in-500-year event. McCaysville had reopened its renovated police building just last week. Police Chief Michael Otis Earley stated that the department lost virtually everything and that recovery will not be easy.

Access to the downtown area on Friday was limited to authorized personnel, business owners, and residents. A curfew from dusk to dawn remains in effect. Earley noted that the disaster does not define the community, emphasizing that the towns are not defeated despite being down.