Storm flooding prompts dozens of water rescues on Georgia-Tennessee border

Severe storms brought intense rain and life-threatening flash flooding to communities along the Georgia-Tennessee border from Wednesday night into Thursday morning. The flooding prompted extensive water rescues and a multi-agency emergency response, while officials warned residents that dangerous conditions could persist after the rain stopped.

McCaysville, Georgia, received up to five inches (13cm) of rain, and some areas were reported to have six to seven feet of water. More than 30 people had been rescued by boat by mid-morning, with one later local report putting rescues above 50; crews were also searching for a person reportedly trapped in a car swept into a creek. Officials issued a boil water advisory in McCaysville, closed schools in Fannin and Gilmer counties because of hazardous roads, and warned some Copperhill, Tennessee, residents to evacuate.