McCaysville begins cleanup after devastating floods force rescues
Kemp issues emergency order after North Georgia flood surge
Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency for McCaysville after the Toccoa River surged 16 feet in 12 hours, leaving the downtown core inundated and forcing crews to rescue more than 80 residents by boat.
MCCAYSVILLE, Ga. - Exhausted residents along the Toccoa River are sweeping out mud and hauling away soaked debris after devastating floodwaters submerged downtown McCaysville.
Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency to deliver relief to the battered border community as local crews and volunteers mobilize to restore essential services.
What we know:
Officials are distributing bottled drinking water across the community after floodwaters inundated the local water treatment facility.
A boil water advisory remains in effect while technicians work to bring the municipal system back online.
State emergency resources are deploying to assist town leadership with long-term infrastructure repairs and direct aid for affected properties.
Local organizers are coordinating volunteer staging sites along the riverfront to help merchants clear damaged buildings.
All Fannin County schools and the Fannin County courthouse will be closed on Friday.
RELATED
- Mandatory curfew ordered for McCaysville after devastating flooding
- North Georgia flooding: Waters receding in McCaysville area
- State of emergency declared for 4 mountain counties after floods
- More than 80 rescued after flooding devastates Georgia-Tennessee towns
- How mountain terrain played a role in historic North Georgia flooding
- PHOTOS: Record flooding in North Georgia after storm
- North Georgia floods: School closures, impacts for Friday in Fannin County
The backstory:
Thursday's deluge marks the third major flood disaster to hit the Georgia-Tennessee border town this year.
A severe flash flood damaged the district in August, requiring three months of continuous repairs.
Several shop owners had completed repairs and reopened their doors just one week before this latest surge struck.
"This community means a lot to me," McCaysville Police Chief Michael Early said. "And we experienced a flash flood three months ago, and we just got back on our feet and some of our buildings were starting to open back up. And people have been actively cleaning up for the past three months. And then we get hit again. Got a long road ahead of us."
What we don't know:
Authorities have not released a full cost estimate for the total structural damage across the commercial district and water treatment plant. Officials have not confirmed when municipal tap water will be cleared for unrestricted public consumption.
The Source: The information in this article was gathered from a live broadcast report from Good Day Atlanta's Marc Teichner.