Flooding prompts emergency declarations and rescues in Tennessee, Georgia

Polk County, Tennessee, declared a state of emergency Thursday after overnight flooding sent rivers over their banks and prompted rescue operations along the Georgia-Tennessee border. McCaysville, Georgia, also declared an emergency and closed the city to unauthorized access, while officials reported rescues on both sides of the state line. The Tennessee Highway Patrol and Tennessee National Guard carried out 68 rescues in Tennessee, according to the highway patrol. In Georgia, Fannin County officials reported at least 20 swiftwater rescues early Thursday; a later update from the county’s emergency management agency put the number at at least 57. Those figures reflect updates at different times, and no final tally was reported. The Ocoee River, known as the Toccoa River in Georgia, reached 18.05 feet before falling below its action stage by 11 a.m. Central Time, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The river had risen above the previous record set in 1990, the National Weather Service said, and remained above flood stage late Thursday morning, according to an earlier update. Floodwaters inundated homes and businesses in McCaysville, with some...