Flash floods in far North Georgia force evacuations, state of emergency

Heavy overnight rainfall in parts of far North Georgia led to flash flooding and at least one city declaring a state of emergency.

Flash flood warnings had expired in parts of Gilmer, Union and Murray counties by 7 a.m. Thursday. But parts of Fannin County remain under a flash flood warning until 9 a.m. due to heavy rain in McCaysville, which is also under a flash flood emergency. The National Weather Service said around 6:40 a.m. that thunderstorms continued to produce heavy rain after 3 to 5 inches of rain had already fallen.

Schools in Gilmer and Fannin counties are closed Thursday because of flooding.

In McCaysville, a state of emergency was declared by the mayor and city council, according to police Chief Michael Earley. He added that, effective immediately, the city was closed to unauthorized personnel.

“For the safety of our citizens, emergency responders, and the general public, no individuals will be permitted to enter the city. Access is restricted to authorized public safety and emergency response personnel only,“ Earley said in an online post.

As of 7:15 a.m., the chief told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in a phone interview that emergency crews using motorized rafts and boats were still rescuing residents from the floodwaters, work that began around midnight. He said he couldn’t estimate how many people had been rescued but said it was “a lot.” He said it wasn’t clear yet if there were any injuries.

He said he had not “had time to look at everything yet,” when reached Thursday morning. “The water is slowly starting to rescind but everything is destroyed.”

He said businesses, the police department and other structures are “completely flooded.”

According to the Fannin County Emergency Management Agency, emergency crews were unable to access certain areas because of flooding and dangerous conditions. The agency confirmed a Georgia State Patrol helicopter was on standby to help with rescues during daylight hours when necessary.

Images shared online by the agency showed homes nearly halfway underwater.

“Please do not let the rain stopping give you a false sense of security. Floodwaters remain extremely dangerous, and conditions can continue to worsen even after the rain has stopped,” officials said.

In Gilmer, the county’s emergency management agency said widespread flooding caused water to surround multiple homes. Officials said around 3 a.m. that rescue teams were evacuating residents from affected areas.