Storms Behind ‘1-in-1,000-Year’ Tennessee and Georgia Floods Move Up Atlantic Coast

A storm system responsible for what the National Weather Service described as a catastrophic, 1,000-year flood along the Tennessee-Georgia border moved up the Eastern Seaboard on Friday, triggering flood advisories in coastal communities from North Carolina to Massachusetts.

In McCaysville, Georgia, and neighboring Copperhill, Tennessee, residents and emergency crews spent Friday clearing mud and debris along the Toccoa River. The Atlanta weather service office reported 10.28 inches (26.1 cm) of rain across the surrounding mountain watershed in six hours and 11.19 inches (28.4 cm) over a 12-hour period ending Thursday morning.

Extreme weather events are sometimes labeled “1,000-year” occurrences because they carry a 0.1% — or 1-in-1,000 — chance of happening in a particular location during any given year. Although rare, the weather service noted that “it’s definitely possible to have multiple 1,000-year events in the same year.”

The Toccoa River feeds into the Ocoee River, where the Tennessee Valley Authority was monitoring elevated water levels at three hydroelectric dams. Swift-water rescue teams from Georgia and Tennessee saved dozens of people before the waters fell, leaving downtown streets coated in mud and forcing the closure of the community’s water treatment plant.

At least one death was linked to the flooding. Julie Barrs, 56, died while apparently attempting to drive through floodwaters in a mountainous part of Murray County, Georgia, Sheriff Jimmy Davenport said Friday.

The flooding marked the second disastrous deluge to hit the communities in three months. The National Weather Service classified the early August flood as a 1-in-500-year event, and McCaysville had only reopened its renovated police station the previous week. Police Chief Michael Otis Earley said his department “lost virtually everything” in the latest flood and warned that rebuilding “will not be easy.”

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency in four counties, allowing additional resources to be made available.

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Access to downtown McCaysville was limited Friday to authorized personnel, business owners and residents. A dusk-to-dawn curfew also remained in place, 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.”

McCaysville, home to about 1,000 people, and Copperhill, with fewer than 500 residents, are popular destinations for scenic railroad trips. The Blue Ridge Railway operates on the Georgia side, while Tennessee is served by the Copperhill Special. Both trains offer views of the surrounding rivers and mountains before stopping near restaurants and shops.

The Copperhill General Store said on social media that nearly all of its merchandise was covered in mud.

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