More than 80 rescued as catastrophic flood hits Fannin County, Georgia

By Paul Harrison, Orbis Weather · Nov 6, 2026

Swift-water teams rescued more than 80 people across Fannin County, Georgia, after a record overnight flash flood swept through McCaysville and neighboring Copperhill, Tennessee, early Thursday, November 5. No deaths or serious injuries had been reported by Friday morning. McCaysville remains closed to outsiders, under a nightly curfew and without running water.

The Toccoa River, called the Ocoee once it crosses into Tennessee, rose to 18.05 feet (5.50 m), the highest in its gauge record. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency for Fannin, Gilmer, Murray and Union counties on Thursday afternoon.

What happened overnight

Heavy rain began over the mountains of Fannin and Gilmer counties late Wednesday, November 4, and kept falling through the night. Rain fell at 2 to 3 inches (50 to 75 mm) per hour, and 5 to 11 inches (125 to 280 mm) fell over an area about 20 miles long and 10 miles wide, The Weather Channel reported. Local 3 News meteorologist Clay Smith said the highest official total was 11.19 inches (284 mm) in under six hours, just northwest of Blue Ridge (Local 3 News).

The river responded fast. It stood at about 4 feet at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday and reached 16 feet by 4:30 a.m. Thursday, ABC News reported. That is a rise of 14 feet (4.3 m) in seven and a half hours.

Downtown McCaysville sat under 6 to 7 feet (1.8 to 2.1 m) of water at the height of the flood, Police Chief Michael Earley said. “I have one of my police cars that’s floating down the river right now,” he told reporters, Now Georgiareported.

Rescues and response

The rescue count climbed through Thursday as crews reached more homes. By 11:30 a.m., 13 swift-water teams using nine boats had rescued 57 people overnight, county spokesperson Robert Poole said (FOX 5 Atlanta). By about 4:40 p.m., more than 80 people had been rescued across Fannin County, Atlanta News First reported, citing county emergency management.

Across both states, more than 100 people had been rescued by late Thursday afternoon, said Kristin Coulter of the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, as reported by CNN. She said the agency knew of no significant injuries or missing people.

Copper Basin Fire Rescue crews arrived around 2:30 a.m. and found eight people, including a 9-month-old and a 2½-year-old, along with six dogs, Local 3 News reported. More than two dozen rescue teams responded, many through the Tri-State Mutual Aid Association. State game wardens joined the search, and Georgia State Patrol helicopters stood by.

A firefighter was hurt but is expected to recover, Earley said. A few people went to the hospital with suspected hypothermia or shock.

Shelters opened at McCaysville City Hall, Copperhill City Hall and the Fannin County Recreation Center in Blue Ridge, where the American Red Cross is helping (WSB-TV).

Curfew: McCaysville has a mandatory curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. until further notice, WSB-TV reported. It covers the downtown business district and nearby residential streets along East and West Tennessee Avenue and Toccoa Avenue.

Damage and recovery

The flood wrecked much of downtown McCaysville and knocked out its water, power and cell service. “Government buildings, shops and homes have been lost,” Earley said, according to ABC News. Atlanta News First reported that dozens of homes and businesses were destroyed and cars were washed away. No official count of damaged buildings has been released.

• Water: The city’s treatment plant shut down, cutting supply to a system of nearly 4,000 customers, including a hospital and a school (FOX 5 Atlanta). A boil-water advisory is in place, and officials cannot yet say when service will return (NewsChannel 9).
• Power: About 736 people around McCaysville were without power Thursday morning, Atlanta News First reported.
• Fires: Lightning is believed to have started at least four structure fires overnight. Floodwater kept fire trucks away from two of them, and both were lost, including a home, CNN reported. A propane tank also caught fire and exploded.
• Roads: Mudslides and washouts closed several roads. A bridge washed out on Bushy Head Road near Boardtown Road, FOX 5 Atlanta reported.
• Schools: Fannin County schools are closed Friday. Gilmer County schools return to their normal schedule.

For many residents this is the second flood in a few months. “We just had got it cleaned up about two months ago where it flooded before. And now this again,” McCaysville resident Brenda Oneal told WSB-TV. Hugh Rogers, who owns McCaysville Gun and Drug, said the water “pretty much moved or destroyed everything in its path.” Atlanta News First reported the damage will likely take months to years to repair.

How rare this flood was

The crest broke a record that had stood for more than 36 years. The previous high was 17.8 feet (5.43 m) on February 16, 1990, Atlanta News First reported, citing NOAA data; WSB-TV gave the old mark as 17.75 feet. The Weather Channel said the crest topped the all-time record at Copperhill in 80 years of records, citing the National Weather Service.

The rain itself was extreme, though reports differ on how rare. Atlanta News First said the National Weather Service called it a 1-in-1,000-year rainfall. CNN described it as at least a 1-in-200-year rainfall. Both mean an event with a very small chance of happening in any given year at that spot.

The Weather Service issued flash flood emergencies, its most serious flood alert, for McCaysville and Copperhill. These are used only when there is a severe threat to life and catastrophic damage is happening or imminent. “August was nothing compared to this,” Earley said, referring to the area’s previous flood (Atlanta News First).

What comes next and where to get help

The cleanup has begun, but officials have asked people to stay away. “We are urging everyone to STAY AWAY FROM THE CITY OF McCaysville,” Earley said, according to ABC News. Copperhill has also closed its downtown and river areas.

• Bottled water: handed out from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday at the building behind McCaysville City Hall, Atlanta News First reported. Residents are asked to conserve water.
• Shelter: the Red Cross opened a shelter Thursday at the Fannin County Recreation Center in Blue Ridge.
• Donations: the Ocoee Country Chamber of Commerce is coordinating, NewsChannel 9 reported. It asks for prepared meals, diapers, wipes, bottles, formula and toiletries.
• Downstream: the Tennessee Valley Authority was spilling water at Ocoee Dam No. 3 at 150,000 gallons (568 cubic meters) per second to relieve flooding upstream, NewsChannel 9 reported.

Gov. Kemp’s state of emergency runs until 11:59 p.m. on November 12 unless he extends it, Atlanta News First reported. It also bans price gouging. The same storm system has moved to the East Coast, where it is bringing heavy rain through Friday.

Frequently asked questions

Was anyone killed in the McCaysville flood? No deaths had been reported as of Friday morning. A firefighter was injured and a few people were treated for suspected hypothermia or shock. Officials had not released a final count of people still needing help.

How many people were rescued? Fannin County officials put the total at more than 80 by Thursday evening, up from 57 rescued overnight. Tennessee emergency officials said more than 100 were rescued across Georgia and Tennessee.

Can visitors go to McCaysville or Copperhill this weekend? No. Both towns closed to the public, and McCaysville has a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew. The Blue Ridge Scenic Railway has canceled departures through Sunday, November 8, Atlanta News First reported.

Is McCaysville’s tap water safe? The water system is out of service and under a boil-water advisory until further notice. Use bottled water from the city’s distribution point until officials say the system is restored.

Sources

• Atlanta News First (via WTOC): More than 80 rescued, live updates, Nov 5
• Atlanta News First (via WALB): McCaysville continues cleanup, Nov 6
• Atlanta News First: McCaysville flooding triggers water rescues, Nov 5
• ABC News: Catastrophic flooding leads to closure of cities, Nov 5
• CNN (via KRDO): Catastrophic flooding sets off 100+ rescues, Nov 6
• FOX 5 Atlanta: North Georgia flooding, Nov 5
• FOX Weather: Water rescues and flash flood emergency, Nov 5
• WSB-TV: Live updates, curfew issued in McCaysville, Nov 5
• WSB-TV: McCaysville residents recall flash flood rescue, Nov 6
• Local 3 News: 80 people rescued, Nov 5
• Local 3 News: Gov. Kemp issues state of emergency for 4 counties, Nov 5
• NewsChannel 9: McCaysville under a state of emergency, Nov 5
• Now Georgia: Flooding, mudslides trigger rescues, Nov 5
• The Weather Channel: Record flash flooding swamps Tennessee, Georgia towns, Nov 5