Flash Flooding Washes Out Gates Chapel Road, Ruptures Water Main on Highway 52, Forces Nursing Home Evacuation

A storm that dropped 3.8 inches of rain on downtown Ellijay in a single hour on September 23 tore out a section of Gates Chapel Road, ruptured a major water line on State Highway 52 West, and pushed floodwater into a local nursing home, forcing staff to move 60 residents to another wing of the building. No injuries were reported, but the damage will keep one of Gilmer County's main east-west routes closed for days and part of the county's water system on a boil-water order.

The Gilmer County Emergency Operations Center logged an official storm total of 3.94 inches. The National Weather Service had a Flash Flood Warning in effect for the county until 7 p.m. that evening. Officials called it one of the most significant flash flooding events the county has seen in recent years.

Gates Chapel Road washed out

Gates Chapel Road at Zion Hill Road took the worst of it. Rising water tore away the road shoulder and undercut the pavement until the roadway itself gave way. County crews have closed the section while engineers assess how much of the road bed needs to be rebuilt before it reopens to traffic.

Floodwater also pushed into multiple buildings around the county, including the nursing home. Staff relocated all 60 residents to another wing of the same facility rather than transporting them offsite, and officials confirmed no one was hurt in the move.

Water main break shuts down Highway 52 West

Near Cox Creek, the same storm surge exposed and broke a major water main running under Highway 52 West. The break drained storage tanks and dropped pressure across the New Hope pressure zone, prompting the Ellijay-Gilmer County Water & Sewerage Authority to issue a boil water advisory for that part of the system.

Highway 52 West is closed at the break while crews dig out and replace the damaged section of pipe. The authority estimates repairs will take three to four days, though that timeline could shift depending on how much of the road bed is compromised underneath.

What the boil water advisory means for you

Anyone in the New Hope pressure zone who loses water pressure should boil tap water for a full minute before drinking it, brushing teeth, making ice, or cooking, or use bottled water instead. Dish washing and laundry can continue as normal. The advisory stays in place until the authority finishes repairs and lab testing confirms the water is safe. Once it's lifted, customers will need to run their faucets for at least two minutes before drinking from the tap again.

Residents with questions about service in their specific area can contact the Ellijay-Gilmer County Water & Sewerage Authority directly at (706) 276-2202 or through its website.

County crews are still assessing whether other roads and low-lying areas took damage beyond Gates Chapel Road and Highway 52 West. Neither the road repair timeline nor the boil water advisory has a firm end date yet, and both will depend on how quickly ground crews can get equipment into the washout sites.

For more on this and other breaking developments, visit Ellijay Georgia Community Website and join the conversation in our Community Forum. You can also catch up on more local alerts and public safety coverage as this story develops.