佐治亚州边境小城创纪录洪水浸入浸信会教堂：托科阿河水位涨至18.05英尺 州长宣布多县为灾区
位于美国佐治亚州范宁县的麦凯斯维尔市（McCaysville）11月5日遭遇创纪录洪水。这座小城与田纳西州的科珀希尔（Copperhill）隔州界相望，流经两地的同一条河流在田纳西州境内称奥科伊河、进入佐治亚州后称托科阿河，连夜暴雨使河水漫出河岸，市内的第一浸信会教堂被洪水灌入，市中心众多建筑受损。
据警方通报，托科阿河水位在11月5日清晨6时达到18.05英尺，超出重大洪水位4英尺，两小时后开始回落；此前的最高纪录是1990年2月16日的17.8英尺。佐治亚州州长 Brian Kemp 已宣布 Union、Fannin、Gilmer 与 Murray 等县为灾区，麦凯斯维尔市也宣布进入紧急状态并关闭全市，一些建筑的洪水淹至屋顶。截至报道时，当地未报告人员受伤或死亡。
第一浸信会教堂紧邻河岸，停车场与河水之间只隔一道约3英尺高的河岸。11月4日周三晚间，该教堂的礼拜如常举行、出席人数不错；青年与宣教牧师 Cole West 说：「我们大约晚上8点离开，几小时后，整栋楼就灌满了水。」主任牧师 David Drake 住在40英里外的 Ellijay，尚未能赶到教堂，他说教堂需要重整，受损的长椅、地毯等都要拆除换新。这样的场景与1990年那场洪水相似，当年只有二楼阳台的长椅得以幸存。
邻近的 Epworth 第一浸信会教堂已主动提供场地，麦凯斯维尔第一浸信会本周日下午2时将在那里举行聚会。West 住在教堂对面，他说凌晨2时手机收到警报、出门看见街灯倒映在平日停车的水面上，清晨4时30分左右当地下达了强制疏散令；离开时，他已能看见有人乘船出现在教堂停车场里。
（来源：Baptist Press）
Record Flood on the Georgia-Tennessee Line Damages a Baptist Church as the Toccoa River Crests at 18.05 Feet
The city of McCaysville, in Fannin County, Georgia, was hit by record flooding on November 5. The town sits across the state line from Copperhill, Tennessee, and the same river — called the Ocoee in Tennessee and the Toccoa after it crosses into Georgia — rose out of its banks after a night of heavy rain, flooding First Baptist Church of McCaysville and damaging numerous buildings in town.
Police said the Toccoa River crested at 18.05 feet at 6 a.m. on November 5, four feet above major flood stage, and began receding two hours later. The previous record was 17.8 feet, set on February 16, 1990. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has declared a disaster area for several counties, including Union, Fannin, Gilmer and Murray, and the city of McCaysville declared a state of emergency and closed the city, with floodwaters reaching the roofs of some buildings. No injuries or deaths have been reported.
First Baptist sits beside the river, with only a three-foot bank between its parking lot and the water. Wednesday night's services at the church had gone well with good attendance. "We left around 8," said Cole West, the church's youth and missions pastor. "Hours later, the building was full of water." Pastor David Drake, who lives 40 miles away in Ellijay and had not yet been able to reach the church, said the sanctuary will have to be redone, with damaged pews, carpet and everything else coming out — a scene much like the 1990 flood, when only the balcony pews survived.
First Baptist Church of Epworth has volunteered its building as a temporary location, and First Baptist McCaysville will gather there for worship at 2 p.m. this Sunday. West, who lives across from the church, said he received an alert on his phone at 2 a.m. and stepped outside to see street lights reflecting on water where cars normally parked; a mandatory evacuation order came around 4:30 a.m., and before he left he could see people in boats in the church parking lot.
(Source: Baptist Press)
来源：Baptist Press
发布：GSM·美国（发布链接）
图片来源：图：流经佐治亚州范宁县的托科阿河（资料图）。Thomson200 摄，CC0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: The Toccoa River in Fannin County, Georgia (file photo). Photo by Thomson200, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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