Outgoing Georgia Governor Kemp declares emergency for flooded northern counties

(The Center Square) - Officials in Georgia and Tennessee asked people to 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐜𝐂𝐚𝐲𝐬𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐥, 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲, 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐲 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠.

Heavy rainfall caused the 𝐓𝐨𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐎𝐜𝐨𝐞𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞, affecting the adjoining town on the state line. The 93-mile river is called the Toccoa in Georgia and the Ocoee in Tennessee.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 for the north Georgia Counties of Fannin, Gilmer, Union and Murray on Thursday afternoon.

The Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security agency said several agencies are helping evacuate anyone affected by the flood. The Center Square was unsuccessful in obtaining more information from the agency.

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On the Tennessee side, the American Red Cross has 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐞 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫, according to the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.

𝟖 𝐭𝐨 𝟏𝟎 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚, causing the Ocoee River to crest at a 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝟏𝟖.𝟓 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐭.

"As of this flash report, there have been 𝟔𝟖 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐞𝐬 coordinated by the Tennessee Emergency Management Authority completed by Tennessee Highway Patrol and Tennessee National Guard," the agency said in a report. "The Tennessee State Emergency Operations Center has been activated to a 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝟒 due to the flooding that has occurred in Polk County."

The Tennessee Department of Transportation is assisting with mud removal on State Route 68, the main roadway in Copperhill.

"As of this post, some water does remain on SR68 near Ocoee Street, although it is receding," the agency said in a social media post. "However, 𝐰𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝, 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧, 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐬."

𝐍𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐨𝐨𝐧.