The latest on North Georgia flooding cleanup efforts

The first cleanup is underway in far north Georgia after devastating flooding. Good afternoon. Thank you so much for joining us. I'm Kim Luffler and for Alex Whitler. Emergency crews rescued more than 80 people after the Toccoa River surged 16 feet in just 12 hours. This is in McCaysville up in Fannin County. Now comes the long process of cleaning up. Fox 5's Larry Sparrow joins us live from McCaysville with the latest. Larry, how's it looking out there this afternoon? Well, good afternoon, Kim. The cleanup process is underway at this area. Let me just show you exactly what is going on out here. As you can see right there, crews are actually cleaning up and taking debris out of the Toccoa River that has really smashed against the bottom of that bridge from that flash flooding that happened days ago. Now, I got to be honest with you guys. It is a mess out here. There is a lot of mud and debris still in downtown McCaysville because all of this water. Came up and really washed away this entire area just a couple of days ago. Now, I spoke with the police chief and he tells me that, you know, they still have no power. They have no water in here in downtown McCaysville. And that curfew is still in effect. That 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew is still in effect because of these very muddy and treacherous conditions out here. Now, a lot of neighbors and residents are still out here walking around. They're just amazed at the... The power of Mother Nature and the damage and debris and trees that are left behind. Now, we do have some sound from this morning from an official here in McCaysville just about the cleanup process and how long this is going to take. Take a listen. Very devastating just to see the merchants and how hard they're down here working this morning came in terribly hard just to see their faces yesterday because their whole livings just went down the river. This is something that I've not ever seen and I'm sure the mayor hasn't either as far as having as many floods as we've had over the past year. One thing that we can say to answer your previous question, the partnerships that we have with these other agencies and cities and counties that's come in to help us, we couldn't do without them. But one thing that we do need help with, we need help with GEMA and FEMA and our federal partners to help this city. And as he mentioned, it's an all-hands-on-deck cleanup approach here in downtown McCaysville. As you can see, we are here at a parking lot in the bank. And as you can see, they are starting their cleanup process as well, shoveling dirt and mud because this entire area was also underwater at that very hour. And so we're going to spend the remaining of today really talking to residents, talking to people here in downtown McKaysville because, once again, this is not the first time that something like this has happened, and they just really can't believe it. It happened again, but there is strength in unity and the power of numbers. As you heard in that soundbite, several crews from all over are here to help out with this cleaning process, but a lot is more to come. We are live in downtown McKaysville. I'm Larry Sproul, Fox 5 News. Yeah, the cleanup process there just beginning. Larry, thanks so much.