Former SWAT deputy dies after car swept by water

As the cleanup continues in McKaysville tonight, loved ones are remembering the woman who lost her life to the floodwaters. Those who knew her say she had a heart of gold. She had a very, very good soul. She went that extra mile. We'll hear from her loved ones in a minute, but we begin tonight with the latest on the cleanup underway in McKaysville. Thanks for joining us. I'm Courtney Bryant. And I'm Ralph Spencer. The good news, conditions on the ground are getting better tonight, nearly four days after devastating flooding ripped through the small mountain town. The police chief says McKaysville is still under a boil water advisory, and the water system is improving. In nearby Copper Hill, Tennessee, security cameras at Barefoot in Blue Ridge. Captured the moment rising river water surged into the streets. Moments later, it crashed through the storefront glass and inundated the shop with water. The store owner estimates it will cost tens of thousands of dollars to fix. We were, you know, anywhere from four to six feet, really, in the front part of the space. It was more like a four-foot level. And so everything below the waterline being like that counter, we're going to have to completely rip out. It destroyed a whole lot of our stuff, you know. So very little of the inventory, like the ingredients were actually able to be salvaged. Disaster response teams from the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army set up relief stations and there are water distribution sites as well. For more on how you can help, head to our website at fox5atlanta.com. As work is underway to clean up the damage, many are remembering the woman who died in the floods. Julie Bars had moved to Ellijay after living in Cobb and Fulton counties for most of her life. Fox 5's Denise Dillon is live in Cobb County tonight. Denise Bars served the community there for many years. She certainly did. Julie Bars grew up here in Cobb County. She graduated from Pebble Brook High School and later became a deputy at the Cobb County Sheriff's Office. She was one of those people. She had a very, very good soul. She went that extra mile. Cobb County District Attorney Sonia Allen remembers Julie Barr as well. Allen was chief deputy at the sheriff's office when Julie was a deputy. I grew up at the sheriff's office. I worked there for 30 years and, you know, I watched people come and I watched people leave and she was one that, you know, everyone seemed to really... Julie made her mark at the sheriff's office as one of the first women to serve on the SWAT team. She also worked alongside the U.S. Marshals on human trafficking cases and earned several awards for her service. Allen says what made her stand out was her love for her community and her desire to help others, which may be one of the reasons she went into law enforcement. You have to have that public servant heart. Julie Bars died last week at the age of 57 when her car was swept away in the fast-moving waters that flooded North Georgia. She is being remembered and honored by so many people whose lives she touched through the years, from metro Atlanta to the mountains of North Georgia. All of her fellow brothers and sisters from the sheriff's office, new and old, just were thinking of her and her family. And Julie's family also says she loved animals and if anyone wants to honor her life they should go ahead and make a donation to the local animal shelter or humane society. Reporting live in Cobb County, Denise Dillon, Fox 5 News. Her family has our condolences as well. Denise, thanks. A sign of progress tonight, the post office says the McCaysville branch is back open after last week's flooding. It had been closed ever since. Customers can stop by the building on Blue Ridge Drive to pick up their P.O. Box mail, buy stamps, or mail packages.