The Toccoa River, which becomes the Ocoee River once it crosses into Tennessee, crested at a record 18.05 feet at Copperhill early Thursday, Nov. 5, breaking the 17.75-foot mark set in February 1990, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. In the days before, the river had been running between 2 and 3 feet.

The rise came with almost no warning — the river went from routine levels to a record flood before sunrise. FOX 5 Atlanta reported the river climbed about 16 feet in 12 hours, with the sharpest jump packed into roughly three hours overnight. By dawn, downtown McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee, were underwater, and crews were pulling residents from apartments and rooftops by boat and raft.

Four days later, the twin towns face a slower emergency. As of Sunday, Nov. 8, McCaysville's water system was running again, but the water was not safe to drink, and both communities were still counting damage to determine whether they qualify for federal disaster aid.

A Quiet Mountain River Rose 16 Feet Before Dawn

The rain fell hardest on the ridges around the towns, not on downtown itself. National Weather Service meteorologist Luke Culver told the AJC that roughly 8 to 11 inches fell in 24 hours. FOX Weather reported 5 to 8 inches across the McCaysville area in about 12 hours, with 8 to 10 inches overnight in Polk County, Tennessee.

That runoff poured into the Toccoa and squeezed through the narrow valley the towns share. The NWS issued a flash flood emergency for McCaysville through 9 a.m. EST Thursday, its most urgent flood alert, and the river reached major flood stage at 3:30 a.m. EST, according to ABC News.

Robert Poole, public information officer for the Fannin County Emergency Management Agency, put the event in local terms: "Nothing to this extent since 1990." By Thursday afternoon, Culver said, "The worst of the conditions have passed," though the Weather Service warned that roads in Fannin and Gilmer counties could remain unsafe.

McCaysville has about 1,000 residents and Copperhill fewer than 500. For both, this was the second damaging flood in three months. An August storm dropped about 7 inches of rain in eight hours on McCaysville, damaging its police station, post office and water treatment plant. The police building had reopened only the week before the November flood.

Rooftop Rescues, a Fatality and a Water System Knocked Offline

Rescue totals vary by agency. The Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA) counted 100 rescues in Georgia, 97 of them in Fannin County. Officials on the Tennessee side reported 17 rescues in Copperhill and 68 in McCaysville. A Chattanooga Fire Department swiftwater crew alone pulled 11 people and two dogs to safety, WSMV reported, while Tennessee National Guard helicopters flew rescue missions at the request of the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.

The storm also turned deadly farther west. In Murray County, 56-year-old Julie Barrs was swept from her vehicle by floodwaters shortly before 10 p.m. EST Wednesday and found dead the next day, according to the AJC. GEMA Director Josh Lamb said, "Our hearts and prayers go out to all of those affected by this flood. We are here to help."

Water service has become the most pressing household problem. McCaysville's treatment plant shut down completely, and Local 3 News reported that as of Nov. 8, water was flowing again but could look brown, cloudy or milky. Police Chief Michael Earley said it should be used only for flushing toilets, and asked residents to "help us protect the limited water supply we currently have by conserving every possible gallon." Copperhill's boil water advisory also remained in effect.

The Polk County Health Department is offering free tetanus shots at Copperhill City Hall on Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 9 and 10, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST, because flood debris raises the risk of cuts and puncture wounds.

TVA Dams Held Water Back, but Unregulated Creeks Did the Damage

The Tennessee Valley Authority operates Blue Ridge Dam upstream of the towns and three Ocoee dams downstream. TVA said it stopped all releases from Blue Ridge Dam at 7 a.m. EST Thursday to limit additional flow downstream. However, much of the flooding came from streams that enter the river below Blue Ridge Dam, where TVA cannot control the flow, according to Local 3.

TVA spokesperson Scott Fiedler told NewsChannel 9 that holding water at Blue Ridge would raise that lake about 2 feet. "At Blue Ridge we are holding back water," he said, urging marina and shoreline owners to secure docks. TVA is keeping releases at maximum through Ocoee Dam No. 3, and officials warned of strong currents downstream near Parksville and Ocoee Dam No. 1.

Fiedler said erosion repairs on Blue Ridge Dam's downstream face, about 90% complete, do not affect its structural integrity. The bigger concern is space for the next storm. "We've got to regain that flood storage," he said, adding that river levels will fluctuate for days as TVA coordinates releases with local officials ahead of the winter rainy season.

Two serious floods in one season raise fair questions for local and state agencies about drainage capacity and infrastructure in a valley this narrow. After the August flood, McCaysville officials linked part of the damage to drainage problems tied to highway construction. No official review of the November flood's drainage factors has been released.

Federal Aid Hinges on Damage Counts Still Underway

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency for Fannin, Gilmer, Murray and Union counties, freeing up state equipment and money for cleanup. Tennessee raised its State Emergency Operations Center to Level 4. Neither event has a federal disaster declaration yet. Copperhill says it is seeking federal assistance, but the Polk County EMA said the process depends on its assessments, which "document the full extent of the flooding."

County officials have counted more than 42 damaged businesses, and McCaysville Mayor Terry Arp estimated $10 million to $15 million in damage to one section of downtown alone, FOX 5 reported. GEMA crews are going door to door in Fannin County. Residents should photograph and video all damage before cleaning up, as city officials advise, since that record supports both insurance claims and any federal request.

Insurance is the hardest barrier — and for many small downtown businesses, possibly the deciding one. Standard homeowners and renters policies generally do not cover flood damage, so households without a separate flood policy may have to rely on federal individual assistance, which only becomes available if a disaster is declared. The American Red Cross can be reached at 1-800-733-2767, and a shelter is open at the Fannin County Recreation Center in Blue Ridge.

The most immediate danger is the river itself. Fiedler warned that "Just because it's sunny now doesn't mean the danger is over," and residents and volunteers should stay off riverbanks, avoid any water over a roadway, and follow instructions from local emergency managers. The next milestones are completed damage assessments in Fannin and Polk counties, state decisions on a federal request, and bridge inspections, including McCaysville's downtown bridge and the Rogers Creek Bridge in Polk County.

What Readers Want to Know

How high did the Toccoa-Ocoee River get? It crested at a record 18.05 feet at Copperhill early Thursday, Nov. 5, topping the 17.75-foot record from February 1990. Flood stage at that gauge is 8 feet.

Which areas were hit hardest? Downtown McCaysville in Fannin County, Georgia, and Copperhill in Polk County, Tennessee. Gilmer and Murray counties in Georgia also saw flash flooding, and one woman died in Murray County.

Is the water safe to drink in McCaysville and Copperhill? Not as of Nov. 8. McCaysville's water is running, but officials say to use it only for flushing, and Copperhill remains under a boil water advisory. Bottled water is available at McCaysville City Hall.

Did TVA dams cause the flooding? No official finding points that way. TVA stopped releases from Blue Ridge Dam at 7 a.m. EST Nov. 5, and much of the flooding came from creeks below the dam that TVA does not control.

Can flood victims get federal aid? Not yet. Federal individual assistance requires a presidential disaster declaration, and local and state damage assessments in both states are still underway.

What should residents do now? Document all damage with photos before cleanup, avoid riverbanks and flooded roads, get a tetanus shot if doing debris work, and follow updates from the Fannin County EMA, Polk County EMA, and city officials.