Storms that caused 1-in-1,000 year flood event in Tennessee and Georgia move up Atlantic coast

A storm system that caused what the National Weather Service calls a catastrophic, 1,000-year flood along the Tennessee-Georgia state line moved up the Eastern Seaboard on Friday, prompting flood advisories in coastal areas from North Carolina to Massachusetts.

In McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee, residents and crews spent Friday cleaning up alongside the Toccoa River. Rainfall across the surrounding mountain watershed measured 10.28 inches (26.1 cms) over a six-hour period and 11.19 inches (28.4 cms) over 12 hours into Thursday morning, according to the weather service in Atlanta.

Some instances of extreme weather are referred to as 1,000-year events because they have a 0.1%, or 1 in 1,000, chance of happening in a particular place in any given year. While uncommon, “it’s definitely possible to have multiple 1,000-year events in the same year,” the weather service said.

The Toccoa flows into the Ocoee River, where the Tennessee Valley Authority was managing high water levels at three of its hydroelectric dams. Swift-water teams from both states rescued dozens of people before the flooding receded, leaving downtown streets covered in mud and its water treatment plant out of commission.

At least one death was associated with the flooding. Julie Barrs, 56, died while apparently trying to drive her vehicle through floodwaters in a mountainous area of Murray County, Georgia, Sheriff Jimmy Davenport said Friday.

This was the second disastrous flood in three months for the communities — the weather service categorized the early August flood as a 1-in-500 year event — and McCaysville had reopened its renovated police building just last week. Police Chief Michael Otis Earley said his department “lost virtually everything” from the latest flood and that recovering again “will not be easy.”

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency for four counties to make resources available.

Access to the downtown area Friday was restricted to authorized personnel, business owners and residents, and a curfew remains in effect from dusk to dawn, Earley said in a statement.

“This disaster does not define who we are as a community,” Earley said. “How we come together, how we care for our neighbors, how we lift one another up, and how we move forward will define us. McCaysville may be down right now, but we are not defeated."

With about 1,000 residents in McCaysville and fewer than 500 in Copperhill, the twin towns have been a quaint destination for scenic railroad rides — the Blue Ridge Railway on the Georgia side and the Copperhill Special in Tennessee. Both trains treat tourists to river and mountain views before stopping so visitors can sample the restaurants and shops.

The Copperhill General Store posted on social media that nearly all its wares are covered in mud.

“Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through this devastating loss,” the store's statement said.