Travel trailer set up on blocks beside a barn, with the delivery truck parked behind it

November 2026 Flooding · Georgia

A Trailer on Your Lot in Ellijay and Chatsworth After the Flood

If your home in Ellijay, East Ellijay, Chatsworth, Eton, and rural Gilmer and Murray counties is not livable after the November flooding, you may be able to stay on your own property while it is repaired. We deliver a furnished travel trailer to your driveway or yard, set it up, have it connected, and service it for the whole stay.

Local rules. Murray County’s code lets the county commissioner issue temporary RV permits while a home is repaired after a governor’s emergency declaration. East Ellijay and Gilmer County bar living in an RV, and Chatsworth may allow it with a temporary special exception. Each rule is linked to its official source below.

Request a trailer for your home Call (214) 493-1515

Housing a crew? Chatsworth allows an occupied RV for a construction project with a temporary special exception, while Gilmer and Murray counties bar living in RVs outside designated districts or parks. Crew rules and housing

The Emergency

The November flood and Gilmer and Murray counties

On November 5, 2026, Georgia’s governor declared a State of Emergency for Gilmer and Murray counties, along with Fannin and Union counties. As of November 10, 2026, FEMA has not declared a disaster for this flood, so no FEMA housing help is open yet. If one is declared, households apply at DisasterAssistance.gov. For Gilmer and Murray counties, official updates come from the Gilmer County Emergency Management, 455 Sunlight Road, Ellijay, 706-276-7246, Murray County Emergency Management Agency, (706) 695-2088, and Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA/HS).

Storm facts

Georgia. On November 5, 2026, Governor Kemp signed Executive Order 11.05.26.01, declaring a State of Emergency for severe flooding in Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, and Union counties. The order says the storms of November 4 and 5 dropped up to ten inches of rain in parts of North Georgia, bans price gouging on goods and services needed for the response, including water and fuel, and expires November 12, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. unless it is renewed. Georgia Executive Order 11.05.26.01
Georgia response. On November 8, 2026, GEMA/HS said the State Operations Center is at Level 2, counted 103 rescues in Georgia (100 in Fannin County and three in Gilmer County), and asked residents to report property damage to their county emergency management agency. GEMA/HS, North Georgia flood response, November 8, 2026
Water, Copperhill. On November 9, 2026, the City of Copperhill lifted its boil water advisory and asked residents to keep conserving water. City of Copperhill, City Alerts and Notices
Weather. The National Weather Service issued Flash Flood Emergencies for southern Fannin and northern Gilmer counties at 10:47 p.m. on November 4, for Copperhill at 3:58 a.m. on November 5, and for McCaysville at 5:08 a.m. on November 5. NWS Morristown called the Ocoee crest at Copperhill a record. National Weather Service Morristown, Flash Flood Emergency for Copperhill, November 5, 2026
River crest. The Toccoa and Ocoee River gauge at Copperhill, one gauge for both towns, peaked at 18.05 feet at 6:00 a.m. Eastern on November 5, 2026. Major flood stage there is 14 feet, and the prior record was 17.75 feet in February 1990. NOAA National Water Prediction Service, Ocoee River at Copperhill (CPHT1)
Federal. As of November 10, 2026, no FEMA emergency or major disaster declaration covers this flood in Georgia or Tennessee. The City of Copperhill says joint preliminary damage assessments with FEMA are set for November 10 in Tennessee and November 11 in Georgia, and that a request for a federal declaration can come only after the assessments. City of Copperhill, City Alerts and Notices
Flood insurance. FEMA’s FloodSmart says most homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage and only flood insurance covers the cost of rebuilding after a flood. To find your flood insurer, call the National Flood Insurance Program at (877) 336-2627. FEMA FloodSmart
Flood policy and housing. The federal flood policy, the Standard Flood Insurance Policy, does not pay additional living expenses while a home is repaired or cannot be lived in, and it excludes loss of use. Proof of loss is due within 60 days. Standard Flood Insurance Policy, Dwelling Form, 44 CFR Part 61, Appendix A(1)

Checked against the sources above as of November 10, 2026. For current information, go to the source.

Recovery status as of November 10, 2026

What official county, city, and state pages, and local news where no official page said it, stated when we read them. Each line carries its date and links its source.

November 6, 2026. The Gilmer County Sheriff’s Office listed road closures across the county, including a bridge out at the end of Zion Hill Road and culvert washouts on roads such as Cowboy Trail, Bushy Head Road, and West Mountaintown Trail, and asked drivers to use alternate routes. Non-emergency road hazards go to Gilmer County Dispatch at 706-635-8911. Source: FOX 5 Atlanta (news)
November 6, 2026. Gilmer County declared a local state of emergency. Source: FOX 5 Atlanta (news)
November 5, 2026. Georgia’s governor declared a State of Emergency for Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, and Union counties. It runs to November 12, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. unless renewed. Source: Office of the Governor of Georgia

Not stated on an official page. No Gilmer or Murray County notice of temporary RV permits, fee waivers, or a debris schedule for this flood was found on an official page as of November 10, 2026. Ask the county emergency management agency for the latest.

Families

A trailer on your own lot in Gilmer and Murray counties

Whether a trailer can stay on your lot is decided by your city or town, or by the county or township outside city limits, and by your HOA if you have one. Here is what each one’s own code or official page says, in short. Our parent brand covers the residential RV rules for Ellijay, Chatsworth, Gilmer County, and Murray County in detail.

Unincorporated Murray County. Murray County normally bars living in an RV or camper anywhere in the unincorporated county outside a designated RV park or campground. Its emergency chapter, though, lets the county commissioner, after the governor declares a state of emergency, issue temporary permits for a trailer or RV in any zoning district while the primary dwelling is repaired. The setup must be designed by an engineer and approved by the county health department and building department; a permit lasts up to six months and may be extended six more months for continuing hardship. The governor’s November 5 declaration covers Murray County, but no notice was found that the county is issuing these permits for this flood. Ask the Murray County Building Department (706-517-1400 ext. 1231) before anyone moves in. Source: Murray County Code, Sec. 20-86, Temporary dwellings, and Sec. 38-154
City of Chatsworth. Chatsworth bars overnight use of an RV except as its manufactured home and RV rules allow. Those rules let an occupied RV be placed temporarily on an occupied lot when the applicant shows it is essential to prepare a construction project, for up to six months at a time, renewable in six-month steps, with a temporary special exception from the Zoning Board of Appeals plus a building permit and a temporary location permit. The rule is not written for storms, and whether a family repairing its own house qualifies is the city’s call. Ask the Land Use and Development office (706-422-3011) before anyone moves in. Source: Chatsworth Code of Ordinances, Appendix A (Zoning), Art. XII, Sec. B.3(a) and (b), Temporary Location Provisions
City of Eton. Eton’s zoning ordinance is not posted online, so its RV rule could not be read. No storm or rebuilding exception was found. Call Eton City Hall at (706) 695-2652 before anyone moves in. Source: City of Eton, official website (no code posted)
Unincorporated Gilmer County. Gilmer County’s code says campers, travel trailers, RVs, and motor homes may not be used as a dwelling in any zoning district except the ORL (Outdoor Recreational Lodging) district. The code has no exception for living in an RV while a house is repaired, and no post-flood exception was found. Ask Gilmer County Planning and Zoning (706-635-3406) before anyone moves in. Source: Gilmer County Code of Ordinances, Sec. 66-46, Non-dwelling structures (Res. No. 23-167, Dec. 14, 2023)
City of Ellijay. Ellijay’s zoning code has no rule that speaks to a family living in an RV or travel trailer on its own lot. Its definition of a dwelling lists buildings, manufactured homes, and industrialized homes, not RVs; it allows a travel trailer to be stored on a lot outside the required front yard. Temporary buildings are allowed for up to one year pending completion of a permanent building, but the code does not say an RV counts as one. No storm or rebuilding exception was found. Ask Ellijay Code Enforcement (706-972-4141) before anyone moves in. Source: Ellijay Code of Ordinances, Appendix A (Zoning), Sec. 3.3, Definitions
City of East Ellijay. East Ellijay’s zoning ordinance says travel trailers and RVs parked or stored on a residential lot may not be used for living, sleeping, or housekeeping. No storm or rebuilding exception was found. Call East Ellijay City Hall (706-276-3111) before anyone moves in. Source: Zoning Ordinance of East Ellijay, Georgia, Sec. 803, Parking, Storage, or Use of Boats and Recreational Vehicles

Where a code bars living in an RV, ask the office whether a hardship or emergency permit is possible before you rule it out; Murray County’s code has one written for exactly this.

Who pays for housing after a flood

Most homeowners policies do not cover flood, and the federal flood policy does not pay living expenses while a home is repaired, so ask your agent or adjuster which policy is handling the claim and whether it pays for housing. When a carrier approves the trailer, we can bill the carrier directly. You can also arrange the trailer yourself. Our parent brand explains the claim side on 1st Choice Living’s Ellijay, Chatsworth, Gilmer County, and Murray County page. Once the placement is arranged, the trailer, delivery, and service are ours.

Repairs that run into winter

Every size arrives furnished, with real beds, a full kitchen, a bathroom with a shower, and heat and air conditioning. If the work on the house runs into the cold months, read winter care and freeze protection before the first hard freeze. More on a trailer on your property while you rebuild.

Already working with a temporary housing company?

We work with any temporary housing company. If one is handling your housing, ask them to place you with Temporary RV Living, or with our parent brand, 1st Choice Living, for a trailer on your own lot in Gilmer and Murray counties. They send us the placement, and we deliver, set up, and service the trailer.

Request a trailer for your home (214) 493-1515

Crews

Crew trailers on a job site in Gilmer and Murray counties

For restoration, debris, tree, utility, and response crews working in Ellijay, East Ellijay, Chatsworth, Eton, and rural Gilmer and Murray counties. Bring the housing to the work. We deliver travel trailers to the site, or as close as the ground allows, and set up and connect them the same way we do in a driveway. A two-person crew fits one trailer. A full crew takes a cluster, and the Workforce Bunkhouse sleeps six or more per trailer, with a kitchen and a bathroom the crew shares. One point of contact runs the placement, it lands on one invoice billed directly to the company, and we handle the LOA, COI, and compliance paperwork your office or your client requires.

For a larger response, our parent brand builds full base camps: sleeper trailers, shower and restroom trailers, laundry, and kitchen and office units, on one invoice. See disaster relief base camps and our disaster relief trailers.

What the local codes say about trailers on a job site

City of Ellijay. Ellijay allows temporary buildings in any district only with construction work or pending completion of a permanent building, for up to one year, removed when the building is done. The code does not say workers may live in them or in RVs at a job site. Ask Ellijay Code Enforcement (706-972-4141) before crews stay on site. Source: Ellijay Code of Ordinances, Appendix A (Zoning), Sec. 4.2-4, Temporary buildings
City of East Ellijay. East Ellijay’s building inspector may issue a temporary certificate for a contractor’s office and equipment sheds on the job property for up to one year. Nothing in the ordinance lets workers sleep there, and RVs on residential lots may not be used for living or sleeping. Call City Hall before crews stay on site. Source: Zoning Ordinance of East Ellijay, Georgia, Sec. 806.1(e), Temporary Uses
Unincorporated Gilmer County. Gilmer County lets manufactured homes or other temporary structures serve as a construction office for a licensed contractor, under a temporary permit renewable every six months. Living in campers, travel trailers, or RVs is barred outside the ORL district, so the code does not allow crews to live in RVs at a job site. Ask Planning and Zoning (706-635-3406) about crew housing. Source: Gilmer County Code of Ordinances, Sec. 62-129, Use of temporary structures
City of Chatsworth. Chatsworth allows temporary buildings with construction work for up to one year, and its RV rules allow an occupied RV on a lot for a construction project or for security or night watchmen quarters, up to six months at a time, with a Zoning Board of Appeals temporary special exception, a building permit, and a temporary location permit. Ask the Land Use and Development office (706-422-3011) before crews stay on site. Source: Chatsworth Code of Ordinances, Appendix A (Zoning), Art. III, Sec. J, Use and Construction of Temporary Buildings
City of Eton. No official page we could find states a rule. Check with the city or county before delivery.
Unincorporated Murray County. Murray County allows RV occupancy only in a designated RV park or campground, so the code does not allow crews to live in RVs on a job-site parcel. A new RV park needs a special or conditional use permit from the county land use planning commission and a building permit. Ask the Murray County Planning and Development office (706-517-1400 ext. 1208). Source: Murray County Code, Sec. 38-154, Prohibition on RVs or campers within unincorporated areas of county (Amend. of 9-3-2024)

Ask the building or planning office for the site before delivery, with the address and how long the crew expects to stay. More on crew housing.

Request crew housing (214) 493-1515

Power & Hookups

Power, water, and sewer for a trailer in Gilmer and Murray counties

Water, sewer or septic, and electrical connections are completed by licensed, insured contractors from our preferred vendor network, so you do not hire an electrician or a plumber. We look at how far the trailer will sit from the water, sewer, and power it will use, and confirm the site with you on the call before the trailer rolls.

Electric service in Gilmer and Murray counties comes from the utilities below. Each posts its own outage updates.

Amicalola EMC: The co-op says it serves parts of 10 counties, including Gilmer and Murray.
North Georgia EMC: Listed by Murray County among the electric companies serving the county, phone 706-259-9441.
Georgia Power: Listed by Murray County among the electric companies serving the county.

Septic: Georgia’s on-site sewage rules say repairs, replacement, or additions to an existing septic system must be permitted and inspected by the county health department, so get an Environmental Health permit before hooking an RV to a home’s septic tank. Gilmer County’s code also says no utility, including sewerage, may be connected to a recreational vehicle without the county building inspector’s written approval and the county environmental health department’s permit. In Murray County, call Environmental Health at 706-517-1400 ext. 1371. Source: Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 511-3-1-.03(2)(c), General Requirements for On-Site Sewage Management Systems (via Cornell LII)

FAQ

Questions about trailers in Gilmer and Murray counties

Can I live in a travel trailer on my lot in Murray County while my house is repaired?

Normally not outside an RV park, but Murray County’s emergency chapter lets the county commissioner issue a temporary permit for a trailer or RV in any zoning district while the primary dwelling is repaired, after the governor declares an emergency. The setup needs an engineer’s design and health and building department approval, for up to six months plus six more. Ask the Murray County Building Department (706-517-1400 ext. 1231).

What are the rules in Ellijay, East Ellijay, and Gilmer County?

East Ellijay says RVs on a residential lot may not be used for living or sleeping, and Gilmer County bars using an RV as a dwelling outside the ORL district. Ellijay’s code names no rule either way. We found no storm or rebuilding exception in any of them, so call the office before anyone moves in.

What does Chatsworth allow?

Chatsworth lets an occupied RV be placed temporarily on an occupied lot when it is essential to prepare a construction project, for up to six months at a time, with a Zoning Board of Appeals temporary special exception and permits. Whether a family repairing its own house qualifies is the city’s call. Ask Land Use and Development at (706) 422-3011.

Will flood insurance pay for a trailer while my house is repaired?

Often it will not. FEMA says most homeowners policies do not cover flood, and the federal flood policy does not pay living expenses while a home is repaired. Ask your agent or adjuster which policy is handling the claim and whether it pays for housing. When a carrier approves the trailer, we can bill the carrier directly, and you can also arrange the trailer yourself.

Do you deliver travel trailers to Ellijay and Chatsworth?

We deliver, set up, and service trailers nationwide, and have since 2004. Put the address in the request form and we confirm the site with you on the call.