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Catastrophic flooding leads to closure of cities in Georgia, Tennessee
ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos • • nation
Key Points:
- Catastrophic flooding has struck McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee, after 6 to 9 inches of rain caused the Ocoee River to reach a record 18.05 feet, surpassing the previous record of 17.8 feet set in 1990.
- Both cities have been closed with mandatory evacuations ordered, and emergency shelters opened at city halls; bridges connecting the towns remain closed due to flooding.
- At least 30 to 40 rescues have been conducted, including people stranded on rooftops and a 90-year-old trapped in her home, with first responders using a Blackhawk helicopter to assist in ongoing rescue efforts.
- The flooding has severely damaged infrastructure, causing power outages, loss of cell service, and a boil water advisory for McCaysville's water system, while government buildings, shops, and homes have been flooded or destroyed.
- A flash flood emergency was declared early Thursday morning for Polk County, Tennessee, and parts of north central Georgia, with the Ocoee River rising 14 feet in under eight hours before beginning to recede later in the morning.
