Water rescues, evacuations underway as ‘catastrophic flood event’ hits North Georgia and southern Tennessee

Homes are flooded and water rescues and evacuations are in progress as flash flood emergencies — the highest level of flood warning — impact North Georgia and southern Tennessee.

The flash flood emergencies are in effect for McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee, on the Georgia-Tennessee border.

Record flooding is ongoing there along a river known as the Ocoee River in Tennessee and the Toccoa River in Georgia once it flows across the border.

The river crested just above the previous record flood set in 1990 just after 6:00 a.m. ET in McCaysville and Copperhill, above the level that causes a “catastrophic flood event” in the two towns, according to the National Weather Service .

A state of emergency has been issued in McCaysville, and the city is closed until further notice, according to the city’s police chief Michael Earley.

“We’re actively trying to water rescue people, and we’ve still got several people trapped in homes that we’re trying to get to,” Earley told CNN affiliate Atlanta News First. “The water keeps rising, so just bear with us as much as you can and please say a prayer for them and their families.”

There were still “numerous residents” that needed evacuations in Fannin County, where McCaysville is located, the county’s emergency management said early Thursday morning.

Evacuations were ordered for residents in McCaysville on West Tennessee Avenue and East Tennessee Avenue, where a Georgia DOT camera showed streets and buildings swamped by the flooded river.

“DO NOT DELAY YOUR EVACUATION. LEAVE THE AREA NOW,” Earley said in a social media post.

A separate flash flood emergency was also issued overnight for other parts of Fannin County and Gilmer County in Georgia.

Emergency management in both counties reported “widespread flooding, with multiple homes flooded and some completely surrounded by water” and water rescues.

Widespread rainfall totals of 3 to 6 inches from slow-moving overnight storms were reported across parts of North Georgia, with over 8 inches in isolated spots.

Up to 6 inches of rain fell in just six hours at multiple rain gauges in the area. This equates to at least a 1-in-200-year rainfall — a rate that has only a 0.5% chance of happening in a given year, under normal circumstances.

Such extreme rainfall is becoming more common as planet-warming pollution pushes temperatures higher as warmer air can hold more moisture.

The rain has come to an end across northern Georgia and southern Tennessee. No additional downpours are expected through the weekend, but dangerous river flooding will remain a threat throughout the day.

CNN Lead Meteorologist Brandon Miller contributed to this report.

由于突发洪水紧急情况（最高级别的洪水预警）影响到佐治亚州北部和田纳西州南部，房屋被淹，水上救援和疏散工作正在进行中。

佐治亚州麦凯斯维尔和田纳西州科珀希尔（位于佐治亚州和田纳西州交界处）已发布山洪紧急警报。

田纳西州的奥科伊河和佐治亚州的托科阿河（过境后）沿岸地区正遭受创纪录的洪水侵袭。

据美国国家气象局称，美国东部时间早上 6 点刚过，麦凯斯维尔和科珀希尔的河水水位就超过了 1990 年创下的前一次洪水纪录，超过了这两个城镇发生“灾难性洪水事件”的水位。

据麦凯斯维尔市警察局长迈克尔·厄尔利称，该市已宣布进入紧急状态，并将关闭直至另行通知。

“我们正在积极进行水上救援，目前仍有几人被困在房屋内，我们正在努力营救他们，”厄尔利告诉CNN附属电视台亚特兰大新闻第一频道。“水位还在持续上涨，请大家耐心等待，也请为他们和他们的家人祈祷。”

周四清晨，范宁县应急管理部门表示，麦凯斯维尔所在的范宁县仍有“大量居民”需要疏散。

佐治亚州交通部的摄像头显示，西田纳西大道和东田纳西大道上的麦凯斯维尔居民被下令疏散，洪水淹没了街道和建筑物。

“不要拖延撤离。立即离开该地区，”厄尔利在社交媒体上发帖说。

佐治亚州范宁县和吉尔默县的其他地区昨晚也发布了单独的突发洪水紧急警报。

这两个县的应急管理部门报告称，“洪水泛滥，多处房屋被淹，部分房屋完全被水包围”，并进行了水上救援。

据报道，佐治亚州北部部分地区受夜间缓慢移动的暴雨影响，普遍降雨量达 3 至 6 英寸，个别地区降雨量超过 8 英寸。

该地区多个雨量计显示，短短六小时内降雨量高达6英寸。这相当于至少两百年一遇的降雨量——在正常情况下，这种降雨量在任何一年中发生的概率仅为0.5%。

随着全球变暖污染导致气温升高，因为温暖的空气可以容纳更多的水分，这种极端降雨现象变得越来越常见。

佐治亚州北部和田纳西州南部的降雨已经停止。预计周末不会再有暴雨，但危险的河流洪水威胁仍将持续一整天。

CNN首席气象学家布兰登·米勒对本报道亦有贡献。