Copperhill couple escapes home as 6 feet of floodwater rushes inside

Couple describes escaping Copperhill flooding

Floodwaters are slowly receding in Copperhill, Tennessee, just across the state line from McCaysville, Georgia, but residents are discovering extensive damage. Tommy and Sandra Edwards, a retired couple who have lived along the creek for more than a decade, said they had never experienced flooding this severe. Their home took on approximately 6 feet of water, destroying belongings and three motorcycles. FOX 5 Atlanta' Elijah Jordan reporting. 

COPPERHILL, Tenn. - A retired Tennessee couple barely escaped their home with their dog early Thursday morning after floodwaters rose approximately 6 feet inside, destroying belongings and three motorcycles as severe flooding swept through communities along the Georgia-Tennessee state line.

ORIGINAL STORY: North Georgia flooding: Waters receding in McCaysville area

What we know:

Tommy and Sandra Edwards have lived along Fightingtown Creek in Copperhill for more than a decade. They said they had never seen flooding as severe as what struck their neighborhood overnight Wednesday into Thursday.

Sandra Edwards said it had rained throughout Wednesday, with storms continuing into the evening. Although she received weather alerts, she believed the warnings were primarily for nearby Blue Ridge, Georgia, and thought their home would be safe.

The couple went to bed around 11:30 p.m., unaware of how quickly the creek was rising.

Couple wakes to find belongings floating inside home

What they're saying:

Around 2 a.m. Thursday, Tommy Edwards got up to use the bathroom and discovered their home was flooding.

Sandra said she jumped out of bed and rushed into the living room, where she saw their belongings floating in the rising water.

"I jumped up and I come out into the living room and seeing stuff floating," she said.

When she looked outside, water had already risen above their deck.

"I said, we got to get out now," Sandra recalled.

The couple grabbed their dog, Willow, and rushed to safety. Sandra said Tommy nearly became trapped inside the house as they tried to escape.

Home suffers extensive damage

By the time the floodwaters began receding Thursday, the Edwardses' home had suffered extensive damage.

Water had risen approximately 6 feet inside the house, covering floors and furniture with mud and silt. Several inches of standing water remained inside when the couple was finally able to return.

The flood also destroyed three motorcycles belonging to the couple.

Tommy Edwards said they were unable to get back inside until the water dropped enough to allow them to enter several hours later.

The couple now faces the difficult task of cleaning up and determining what, if anything, can be salvaged from their home.

Propane tanks float downstream as creek overflows

The destruction extended beyond the Edwardses' property.

Along West Tennessee Avenue in Copperhill, floodwaters washed out a culvert near Fightingtown Creek, leaving roads covered in thick layers of silt and debris.

Water reached more than 6 feet high in some areas, carrying lawn chairs, patio furniture, lumber and other debris downstream.

Several large propane tanks were also spotted floating along the swollen creek. Others had washed up against hillsides or become trapped in piles of debris.

Propane is commonly used by residents in the area, where many homes do not have access to natural gas lines.

Swift-water rescue crews continued driving through the neighborhood Thursday, checking on residents as water levels slowly dropped.

For the Edwardses and their neighbors, the cleanup could not begin in earnest until floodwaters receded further and emergency crews completed their work.

The flooding also caused extensive damage in nearby McCaysville, Georgia, just across the state line.