Authorities in Gilmer County north of Atlanta were working at daybreak Thursday to rescue numerous residents trapped by floodwaters after as much as 5 inches of rain fell overnight.

The torrential rainfall prompted a flash flood warning for portions of several counties north of Atlanta early Thursday, but forecasters are predicting dry weather for Friday and Saturday before more rain moves in Sunday.

The flash flood warning was posted for parts of Cherokee, Forsyth, Dawson, Pickens and Gilmer counties, where Meteorologist Kirk Mellish says 2 to 6 inches of rain had fallen by 7:00 a.m.

The National Weather Service reported that a swift-water rescue was underway at 6:45 a.m. at a home in the Talking Rock community of Gilmer County, and that a mobile home north of Jasper in Pickens County was evacuated around 2:15 a.m. because of high water.

The Gilmer County Sheriff's Office posted on its Facebook page just before 8 a.m. that "Blackberry Mountain Road is shut down at the bridge at Azalea Rd. as there is dangerous flooding in that area along with reports of some houses under water."

Cobb County was sending a swift-water rescue team and boat to Gilmer County to assist, Cobb fire Lt. Denell Boyd said just after 8 a.m.

Pickens sheriff's Lt. Kris Stancil said a bridge on Ga. 136 was impassable at 7 a.m. due to dangerous water levels, and that a mud slide had washed over the roadway on Ga. 136. At least one home in that area had "significant" flooding, Stancil said.

The flood warning was in effect through noon for southeastern Gilmer County, where heavy rain continued to fall just before daybreak, but was expected to expire in the other counties at 7:45 a.m.