Severe storms brought heavy rain and flash flooding to communities across the Georgia-Tennessee border area late on Wednesday and into Thursday morning that forced dozens of rescues, despite the hazardous conditions making evacuations and efforts to save people difficult.
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evacuations → bring → people
McCaysville, in north central Georgia, was deluged with up to five inches (13cm) of rain by Thursday morning, triggering life-threatening flash flooding, the National Weather Service (NWS) said.
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Service → deluge → flooding
The town lies just across the Toccoa River from Copperhill, Tennessee.
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town → lie → Copperhill
The NWS issued a flash flood warning for the area until mid-morning Thursday, saying: “This is a particularly dangerous situation.
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This → issue → morning
Most flood deaths occur in vehicles,” it added.
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it → occur → vehicles
Georgia’s governor, Brian Kemp, announced on Thursday morning that the state’s emergency management agency was leading a “multi-agency response … using both aviation and boat assets, as well as local counties and Tennessee first responders.”
More than 30 people had been rescued by boats by mid-morning, McCaysville police chief, Michael Earley, said.
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chief → announce → morning
“I’ve never seen flooding like this in my life,” Earley said, local TV station WSMV reported, adding that the water in some areas was six to seven feet high.
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water → see → areas
“Anyone who’s willing to help, we’re asking for help,” he added.
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he → ’ → help
One local report later in the morning informally put the number of rescues by water above 50 so far.
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report → put → 50
Robert Poole, a Fannin county emergency management spokesperson, also told WSMV that one rescue effort involved a person who was trapped in his car.
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who → tell → car
“We currently have a crew looking for a vehicle.
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crew → have → vehicle
A gentleman called in, said he was swept away in his car down a creek,” Poole said early on Thursday morning, adding: “We lost communications with him.
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We → call → him
They have, I guess, an address now and the gentleman is still trapped in the vehicle, so they’re trying to make their way to him and safely get him out of the vehicle.”
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they → have → vehicle
Poole added: “We … already had our resources kind of stretched thin from several structure fires that happened, kind of just all at one time when the lightning moved in …
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lightning → add → time
And then as the rain continued to fall, these water rescues followed the structure fires.”
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rescues → continue → fires
“Please do not let the rain stopping give you a false sense of security,” the agency said on social media, adding: “Floodwaters remain extremely dangerous, and conditions can continue to worsen even after the rain has stopped.”
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rain → let → media
It also issued a boil water advisory for McCaysville.
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It → issue → McCaysville
Game wardens with the Georgia department of natural resources are also assisting state and local first responders with search-and-rescue operations in Fannin and Murray counties, county officials said on Thursday.
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officials → assist → Thursday
School closures were announced on Thursday for students at Fannin and Gilmer county schools due to hazardous road conditions.
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closures → announce → conditions
Residents of Copperhill, Tennessee, were also affected by the flash flooding.
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Residents → affect → flooding
At 3am ET on Thursday, city officials issued evacuation warnings for some.
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officials → issue → some
The Associated Press contributed reporting
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Press → contribute → reporting
The Aporia
